The Battle of Nibelheim
by Catsitta
Summary: For Illulian: Everyone knows that Sephiroth was the hero of the War with Wutai. What happens when the first battle occurs suddenly in the sleepy town of Nibelheim and he's the only SOLDIER there? How does a little blond boy play a part? AU.
1. The Battle of Nibelheim

**A/N: **This is for Illulian. Thank you again for participating in my contest and here's that oneshot I promised.

**Any comments, reviews and the like are loved. I thrive off feedback.**

**Disclaimer: **This was for fun, not for profit. I own nothing FF7 related….blah blah blah. To quote another writer: "These are not my characters, I'm just abusing them".

**Summary:** Everyone knows that Sephiroth was the hero of the War with Wutai. What happens when the first battle occurs suddenly in the sleepy town of Nibelheim and he's the only SOLDIER there? And how does a little blond boy play a part? AU. Young!Seph & Young!Cloud

**Words: **7,760

**Rating: **T

**The Battle of Nibelheim**

**By Catsitta**

It was perhaps two weeks into his mentorship with the famous Commander Angeal Hewley, when Zack Fair trudged into their shared apartment and collapsed onto the couch, three heavy textbooks resting on his chest. The raven-haired SOLDIER cadet closed his eyes and let out a groan. Why did his Battle Strategy instructor have to assign a research paper on the Wutai War on the one day he usually had for goofing off?

Grumbling some curses under his breath, Zack sat up and opened the top book. A few seconds of reading left the puppy ready to chuck the thing at the wall. Why did every textbook say the same drabble about the start of the war? How was someone supposed to do a decent paper if all the information available was summed up in a paragraph?

After spouting a few more choice swear words at the book, he opened the next one in the pile. Again, he ended up tossing it…as well as the third. The teen was ready to start pulling his hair out in frustration. There had to be more to The Battle of Nibelheim than this! Honestly, it was the start of the most renowned war ever. If it had not been for ShinRa's victory at Nibelheim, then there would not be a ShinRa. If it had not been for Nibelheim, the SOLDIER project would not have become the legendary force it was today.

But all the books said the same thing.

Wutai invaded the continent at a slow pace. No one thought anything of their colonization movement until they made an assault on the first (and at the time only) Mako reactor. The energy creating technologies being built and studied there were funded by the ingenious president of the ShinRa Electric Company, and were priceless. If they lost the reactor and the scientific research facility underneath, they would be set back for decades. So, they unveiled their pet project, a child SOLDIER named Sephiroth.

True, other SOLDIERs existed at the time and were rushing to Nibelheim's aid at hearing about the crisis, but the quiet mountain town was in the middle of nowhere and rather difficult to get to. By the time help arrived, Sephiroth, whom was perhaps fifteen or sixteen at the time, stood the proud victor of the skirmish.

Before him laid a whole battalion of dead enemy soldiers. And apparently, there were no casualties on his side of the battle…except one. A local man, whose name no one would disclose, who worked at the reactor as a guide and a guardsman of sorts. His death, however, was shadowed entirely by Sephiroth's amazing victory and immediate promotion to not only First Class, but General.

From that moment on, he was the hero of the war.

So why, in Gaia's name, was there not more information on the battle? Zack sighed. Did they not ask Sephiroth what happened? He blinked. No, they probably did not. A smile broke onto his features. With a few puppy pouts directed at Angeal, he could get an audience with Sephiroth and then…yes, then, he could get the silver warriors side of the story.

Feeling proud of himself, Zack dashed out of the apartment and straight for Angeal's office. The Commander sat hunched over his desk, scowling at a handful of paperwork when the cadet slammed open the door. Dark-blue eyes leapt up to meet those of smiling aquamarine. He shot the teen a questioning look, which the boy promptly replied to with a wild leap in his direction. The Commander barely had time to brace himself against the raven-haired teen's infamous Tackle Hug attack.

He grunted. Zack grinned.

"What do you want, Zackary?" Angeal asked with a weary sigh. The excitable boy really was going to be his death one day…and was he pouting? Oh Gaia, what chaos had the boy caused now!

The teen snuggled his face against his shoulder, trying to feign innocence. Trouble was the boy's middle name. After a short pause, Zack mumbled something into his shirt. Angeal shook his head and told him to speak up. Another pause and that puppy pout was at full force yet again. He was beginning to get worried.

"I said: I want…no NEED to talk to General Sephiroth. It's important, 'Geal."

Arching a brow, the Commander's only reply was that of a skeptical look. Gaia, could those eyes get any bigger?

"Pleeeeeease," Zack whined.

"Why?"

"I have this paper to write on the start of the war with Wutai and the only person I can think of to ask about it is Sephiroth."

"Couldn't you do your paper like every other student and read a few books?"

"I did. They were useless. C'mon, 'Geal, pleeeease. At least lemme talk to him, and if he says no, then well, I've leave him alone."

Mentor and puppy stared at each other for a long time. Despite Zack being fifteen and a prodigy among his peers, the cadet still acted liked a six-year-old when he wanted something. He would whine, beg, and even cry. Then, once Angeal caved, the teen would try to squeeze him to death and squeal like a little girl. It was sometimes concerning how childish and innocent someone so brilliant could be.

Shaking his head, the Commander let out a soft groan of defeat. Of which, Zack translated into a yes and promptly began half-strangling his mentor with joy. Angeal rolled his eyes. If he was lucky, Sephiroth would entertain the pup for a few hours and let him recover from his protégé's enthusiasm. Soon, said protégé was bouncing out of the door towards the General's office.

Feeling thrilled that his mentor agreed to let him talk to the General, Zack barely registered the annoyed squawk that escaped the secretary's lips when he sped past her and made his way to the door. Excited, he opened it, not caring if the silver warrior was busy or not. Fortunately, he was not and that more than likely saved his hide.

Peering over a fresh and steaming cup of coffee, Sephiroth looked mildly startled to see Zack enter his office. Paperwork laid in neat piles on his desk and he appeared to be taking a break of sorts if the way he was leaning back in his chair was anything to judge by. Grinning fearlessly, the raven-haired teen walked straight up to the General's desk, placed both palms flat on the surface and said,"Hi!"

Sephiroth blinked.

"I'm Zack Fair, SOLDIER cadet and Commander Angeal Hewley's student." He added happily,"Call me Zack. Anywho, I'm doing this research project and 'Geal said I could talk to you since there are not really any good sources with information on The Battle of Nibelheim. And…"

His mind at last catching up with Zack's hyperactive prattle, Sephiroth leaned forwards and glared at the cadet. The raven-haired teen paused and stared up at him with wonder-filled eyes. Then, he grinned wider and continued talking…and talking…and talking…

Eventually, it was all the General could do just to figure out what in Gaia's name a cadet was doing in his office asking him about the Wutain War. When Zack paused again to take a bit of a breather, Sephiroth cleared his throat and decided to make an interjection of his own.

"Fair, you barged into a superior officer's office without thinking of the consequences." He began.

Zack snorted,"C'mon, General, I wanna know what happened!"

Was the cadet honestly unafraid of Sephiroth when he began speaking in his General voice? Apparently so because now the teen was staring at him with the most ridiculous pout on his face that Sephiroth had ever seen in his life! It was…unsettling.

"You wish to know what happened…?"

"Yeah, at The Battle of Nibelheim. Please. Please. Please. Pleeeeeease!" The cadet could not have possibly looked more vulnerable as he begged. Those eyes were wide and watery. His lips were puffed out and set into a frown. And he was angled so that his face was directly below Sephiroth's. How did Angeal tolerate the kid? Then again, the man did have an amazing capacity for patience. He could weather even Genesis's foul temper when the auburn Commander decided to throw a fit. So a whiney cadet could not be much worse…

Settling back in his chair, Sephiroth tapped his fingers together thoughtfully,"So you really do want to know?"

Zack jumped up and down as he nodded vigorously.

"Then sit, cadet. It's a long story."

The raven-haired teen plopped down in one of the nearby armchairs and looked up eagerly. Sephiroth reached into his desk and pulled out a notebook and a pen, before tossing it at the cadet, whom caught the objects, understanding on his face.

"Where to begin—?" Sephiroth mused aloud as he lost himself in a not quite distant memory.

000X000

**Six years earlier, Nibelheim:**

Bright lights, cold steel, the faint hum of electronics whirring to life—these were all things Sephiroth was familiar with growing up in the lab. What he was unfamiliar with was this place called "outside". True, in his fifteen years he had been outside of the labs on occasion and he read enough to know what was out there, but now, standing alone and practically unsupervised, he was uncertain what to think.

With his silver hair tied into a severe braid, the teen did his best to blend in with the locals. They stared enough as it was without having a literal banner flowing behind him. He just did not understand why they seemed so disconcerted by his appearance…then again, most people in Nibelheim were thickly set, blonde or red haired with pale skin and pale eyes. Sephiroth, while pale, just did not fit the local profile in any other way.

His eyes were a brilliant shade of green that was practically luminous. His build was very tall and slight. His features bordering feminine. Then add in his long silver hair and a military uniform, and there was no possible way for him to go unnoticed. But he tried. They had to give him credit for that much.

So as he moved through the town, quietly and as covertly as possible, the locals did their best to at least pretend to ignore him.

Well, all the locals except one.

He noticed a set of eyes watching him intently but he could never find their owner. Sephiroth did not betray his unsettlement in hopes that his stalker would give up and go away. The silver teen ducked beneath a tree branch and decided to lose his follower in the mountains…And what amazing mountains they were.

Those high up peaks jutted into the sky like frost covered daggers, stealing his breath away. He always had an affinity to the wild landscape…there was something about the way the forest sprawled and the rocks sat that felt like home…a true home. Not the place filled with pain and cold emotion that his father Hojo called home. The mountains were open, free and dangerous as well as secure and confining and safe. Things grew slowly here but in that growth, they became eternally innocent as well as wise in the meaning of nature.

After adjusting the katana on his back, one he affectionately called Masamune, Sephiroth scanned the area for monsters. Nothing. Just peace, quiet and lots of ice. A small smile quirked on his lips. Hojo would have a fit if he knew that his pet project was out wandering in the forest alone. Then again, the scientist was in Midgar and what he did not know did not hurt him…And if Sephiroth had his way, the man would never know.

He would have to thank professor…what's-his-name…for allowing him to get some fresh air if all went well.

Then, a low growl broke the silence. Sephiroth whirled around. Standing all over fifteen feet away was a whole pack of Nibel Wolves. How had he not sensed the animals' approach? He drew Masamune and readied himself for attack, only, when he made to swing at the growling leader, a shout broke his concentration.

"Stoooop!" Came the cry and next thing he knew, a little boy of six, maybe eight years, stood panting between him and the wolf. His hair was a bright blond disarray of spikes and his eyes were wide and clear blue. He stared hard at Sephiroth, his face scrunched up into that of anger. "Don't hurt them."

The teen lowered Masamune and frowned at the little boy,"They're dangerous."

"They're nice!" The boy shouted, tears forming in his eyes. He glanced back at the wolves behind him and a strange smile appeared on his face. Slowly, the alpha wolf padded closer and nuzzled the boy's face, its tongue wiping away his fallen tears. "See." He looked back at Sephiroth, those blue eyes still gleaming wetly.

Confused, the teen replied,"But, they're monsters. Monster's are not…nice."

The little boy shook his head and took a step towards Sephiroth,"They are not monsters. They're my friends."

"Your…friends?"What was a little boy doing out in the forest? Even the locals could not possibly allow for such a young child to be wandering about unsupervised.

"Uh-huh. My friends. So don't hurt them. They were just curious, is all, since you smell funny."'

Sephiroth sheathed Masamune,"How exactly is my scent any different than yours?"

The boy rolled his eyes as if the answer was obvious,"Because, you're from the reactor and there is only one person from the reactor that is from here."

"How do you know that?" He asked, frowning. True, he was from the labs beneath the reactor and yes, there was only one local working at said reactor, but how in Gaia's name would a kid know that? Then again, the boy was friends with Nibel Wolves, beasts that were notoriously bad tempered and aggressive.

One of said wolves padded to stand beside the boy, its ears flattened and teeth bared.

The boy pouted and tapped the beast on the nose, telling it 'no' much like one would an ordinary dog…and it worked. The wolf backed down and sat on it haunches next to its pack mates…there were six in all, including the alpha that snuggled up to the blond.

Apparently satisfied by the wolf's reaction, the boy looked back at Sephiroth and said,"My daddy works there…and he saw you before and when I saw you outside, I wanted to know who you were…why you're here." The teen quirked his head a bit. For such a young child he was very articulate. He reminded Sephiroth of himself at that age, able to prattle on about things he should not understand like a little adult.

Then again, as he ran through the list of names of employees at the reactor, there was a good reason why the boy could talk so well. His father, a man named Marcus Strife, was a reputable genius of sorts. At least, by Nibelheim standards. If his son was intelligent as well…

"Your father is a man called Strife, yes?"

The boy smiled and nodded,"Yep. Oh, and I'm Cloud by the way. Cloud Strife."

Sephiroth arched a brow. Cloud? The man named his son, Cloud. It would have been a more logical choice to name the unfortunate kid Chocobo or something of the like. Honestly, who named their kid Cloud? It was not a name, not really. But who was he to insult the kid's name? Cloud, for all his quirks, had followed him through town and stayed out of sight. An impressive feat to say the least.

"Sephiroth," the teen offered, unsure of what else to say.

Cloud hummed something before turning to mumble something into the nearest wolf's ear. The brute let out a small whine before giving the boy a well meaning lick and trotting away…the rest of the pack reluctantly followed. This was, all things considered, one of the most bizarre days of his life. Then the boy looked back at him and smiled,"I know. Daddy told me who you were."

"He…did?"

"Yup. Daddy said there was a boy named Sephiroth with silver hair and pretty green eyes that lived in the labs and sometimes protected the reactor from monsters." Cloud replied sweetly,"So that must mean you're really smart and brave."

"Why do you assume that?"

"Because, silly, labs are where the scientists are and if you live in the labs you must be a scientists and scientists are smart…like daddy." Cloud giggled, it was obvious he was very fond of his father,"But if you fight monsters, that means you have to be really strong and brave 'cause monsters are scary."

"Nibel wolves are monsters," Sephiroth deadpanned.

The boy rolled his eyes,"Nuh-uh, they're nice. People just think they're scary 'cause they don't understand… So they hurt them. I don't like it when my friends get hurt. Makes me sad. Mommy doesn't like it when I'm sad. She says it makes her sad. And if mommy is sad, daddy is sad. Then everyone is sad. I don't like it when everyone is sad…So I help my friends so everyone can be happy!"

Sephiroth blinked. Children were…confusing. Especially intelligent ones. At least, to him they were. Not that he had a chance to speak with many smart kids in his life.

"So stop calling my friends monsters. You can be brave and strong and not hurt them. Daddy told me that it sometimes takes a lot more bravery to try to understand something than to hurt it. People hurt things because they're scared, a lot of the time."

Was the kid ever going to stop talking?

"Understand?"

"Huh?"

"You weren't paying attention!" Cloud exclaimed, stamping his foot.

"No." Sephiroth looked away. As interesting as this exchange was he had better things to do than talk to a little blond six-year-old with a fondness for deadly, mako-enhanced beasts. Said little boy had a temper though and proceeded to chuck a stick at his head. Surprised, the teen frowned.

The kid stuck his tongue out,"Meanie."

"I was not the one who threw a stick."

Cloud crossed his arms and puffed his bottom lip,"You ignored me."

"Yes."

"Didn't your mommy teach you not to ignore people when they're talking to you?"

Sephiroth flinched and let his gaze fall to the ground. Cloud, strangely enough, seemed to understand and he slowly approached, an apologetic smile on his face.

"Sorry."

"You didn't know."

"I made you sad…want to come to my house and have some cookies? Mommy's cookies always makes me happy."

"Cookies?" What were cookies? He'd read about them but Hojo told him that they were sugary treats that a growing super solider did not need. Would it be okay…?

"Yeah! C'mon." Cloud chirped, before bouncing down the slope back towards town. He looked comfortable in the hazardous terrain, despite the uneven paths and bitter cold that had most of the scientists bundled up in three jackets. The kid only wore one and it did not look very heavy…but his boots looked watertight compared to Sephiroth's own soggy cloth ones.

With the smallest of smiles and filled with curiosity, he followed.

000X000

Upon reaching the Strife residence, Cloud bolted ahead and swung open the door. It was an odd quirk found only in small towns, but no one appeared to lock anything. Homes, sheds, vehicles, ater. Back in Midgar, such would lead to one being robbed blind. But here…it was normal. Safe.

Sephiroth felt a strange twinge in his chest. He grew up in Nibelheim, but little things like this he never learned until recently. Such was life when one was born and raised underneath a reactor in a laboratory with people determined to shape you in as controlled an environment as possible. He half expected the inside of the homes he peered into to have stark white walls and smell of mako… but none did. Especially not Cloud's home.

The boy urged him to follow and when the teen crossed the threshold, his senses were assailed by the strangest smells. There were all kinds: sweet, savory, spicy and salty. He followed Cloud into the kitchen, his eyes flicking around the cozy cottage (the walls were warm shades of brown but it was hard to tell with all the knickknacks that nearly covered every available inch).

"Mommy, I made a friend. His name is Sephiroth!" Cloud called, and as the teen peered into the cramped, tiled room, he saw what made all those wonderful smells. Sitting at the center of the room was a table chocked full of native dishes on plates and in bowls. Dark broths with floating chunks of meat and potatoes. A strange pasta dish with a creamy sauce. Little mushrooms stuffed with a kind of custard. And cookies. A whole plate of round little treats…snicker doodles, Sephiroth assumed based on their strong cinnamon aroma.

His eyes must have gone wide because Cloud began to giggle and said,"I think he likes the way dinner smells. Do you think he could stay, mommy? Just to eat."

That was when he finally got a good glimpse of Mrs. Strife when she popped out the pantry, a jar in one hand, an apron tied at her throat. Sephiroth nearly had to take a step back in surprise. She looked to be in her early to mid twenties, delicately built, perhaps standing no taller than five foot, with impossibly long blonde hair that went well past her waist and the most intense blue eyes he had ever seen in his life. They practically glowed! And the no nonsense expression on her face was not very comforting either.

Then, Cloud scurried forwards and wrapped his arms around her leg and that expression softened. There was a lot of love between the pair, even Sephiroth could sense it.

"What did I say about talking to strangers, Cloudy?" Mrs. Strife scolded gently.

"Sorry mommy. But he tried to hurt my friends so I had to talk to him and then I found out he thought they were monsters and so I told him that they were nice and not to hurt them. And…and mommy, he doesn't know what cookies are!" The little blond replied.

His mother shook her head and looked at the silver-haired teen,"Hello Sephiroth. You might as well sit down, dinner will be ready soon."

"Thank you mommy!" Cloud shouted and squeezed his mother's leg a little more before he allowed the woman to peel him off.

"What am I going to do with you, Cloud?" She sighed,"Such a curious 'bo."

Cloud, apparently not hearing his mother's words of exasperation, hopped up into a seat at the table. "Sit!" he commanded, and Sephrioth, after glancing warily at Mrs. Strife, did as he was told. The boy grinned and once again began to prattle on about nonsense like only a child his age could.

000X000

Dinner went well, surprisingly enough.

Shortly after Cloud and Sephiroth sat down, Marcus Strife, whom looked like a bulky, older version of the boy, returned home and scooped his wife up into a dramatic kiss. His son made a face but ended up giggling as his father broke away, quirking both brows in a comical gesture and kneeling to be eye-to-eye with the boy. Apparently, Sephiroth's presence did not disturb the man in any way.

Marcus simply sat down across from him and asked casual questions…he was friendly. Open. Willing to ignore the fact that the teen was an experiment and supposed to be in the reactor labs, and talk to him like a normal human being. He did not ask probing questions like Hojo. He inquired about mundane things like the weather and how he met Cloud.

It was…nice. Very nice.

As was the food. He could never remember eating so many delicious things in his life! The meals he ate back in the labs were specially made to the nutritional value for optimal growth and health. This feast that lay before him had no dietary qualities whatsoever and he loved it.

Especially the cookies.

And the coffee. He wondered why no one would let him have the stuff. Everyone who worked there drank it like water…now he knew why. It tasted wonderful and made him feel…good. Really good.

He smiled. This was strange but wonderful. Was this what it was like to have a family? A normal, loving family?

Cloud was lucky.

Sephiroth wondered if the boy knew that. He pushed away the thoughts. No need to trouble such an optimist child with the knowledge that there were others out there that did not have a happy life and a full belly. He took a long sip from the mug in his hands. Let the boy have a few more years of ignorance. Childhood was a precious time and something the teen never had a chance to enjoy.

A short time later, it was time to say goodbyes.

Marcus shook his hand. His wife (whom he learned was named Aubrey), patted his shoulder and tucked a cookie into his uniform pocket. And Cloud hugged his leg.

"Bye," the boy mumbled as his mother pulled him away.

"Bye…" Sephiroth whispered before opening the door.

"I'll see you again, right?"

The teen paused and nodded.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

000X000

Sephiroth kept his promise.

Each day for the following weeks he would wander into the outskirts of town and find the boy playing with his wolf friends. It took some getting used to, but the teen did adapt the animal's presence. Cloud was right, they were friendly. But why?

But these visits were bittersweet. In three days, Hojo would be returning from Midgar and Sephiroth would be back under lock-and-key. Freedom was nice while it lasted…

As he returned to the reactor that evening, feeling disheartened, his paths crossed with Marcus.

"Evening," Sephiroth offered.

The man smiled,"Would you like to come to dinner?"

"Yes, but I have guard duty," the teen replied solemnly. It used to be, the one night of every week he was allowed out of the labs was something he looked forwards to, even if he was still inside the reactor.

"Good luck, kid," Marcus said with a sympathetic pat on the arm before he headed down the mountain towards home. It was quite a lengthy trek from the reactor to the little cottage on the far side of Nibelheim. How did the man do it, walk to work and home and back and still maintain that smile? A question for another day.

Sephiroth slipped inside the reactor, adjusted Masamune (though he never needed her it seemed) and took his position by the door. It was going to be a long night…

As his eyes began to slip closed from sheer boredom, like usual, a strange noise made him snap awake. Blinking, the teen stalked further into the building. Scientists worked diligently, ignorant of the sound to high pitched for them to hear. That was when it happened…that was when all hell broke loose.

The sound became an earsplitting shriek that even the normal humans could hear, causing Sephiroth to fall to his knees, his hands clapped over his ear. The pain…so much pain. And then, the front entryway (the one he normally stood in front of ) burst open in a spray of white-hot shrapnel. With the nose gone, his head spinning from the sound, the teen rose back to his feet.

Standing outside, with their rifles pointing at the huddled, quivering scientists, were two Wutain soldiers.

Tensions between Wutai and ShinRa military forces were always high. The company always seemed to be prodding at the nation with a little too keen an interest and Wutai eyed the unclaimed territories on foreign soil. This led to conflict, mostly of the political kind. But never had colonization troops ever come this far inland, much less into a populated town (no matter how remote or tiny) protected by ShinRa forces.

And these troops did not look like there were here to negotiate.

They were declaring war!

Sephiroth leapt to the scientist's aid as the bullets rang out. Masamune familiar and deadly in his hand, he deflected the shots with ease. He was a SOLDIER. It was his duty to protect civilians from danger and disaster…he just did not think he would have to so soon. But that did not mean he was unprepared. The virtual simulators and regular—though monitored—monster hunts had him well prepared for combat…

Just…

The men tossed a grenade towards the computers…It was a tricky shot, but Sephiroth caught the device with the end of the katana and slung it back at the soldiers. A burst of light and sound send the teen backwards…and when it cleared, revealed two badly burned enemies, screaming in agony. With a flick of Masamune, he ended their lives.

When he turned to check on those he protected from death, he saw that they were already gone. Based on the spinning lights, they were going into lockdown. Knowing that there was potentially more troops out in the town, Sephiroth ran out before the emergency doors slammed shut, sealing him away from those who would need his help.

A quick flash of blond spikes came to mind. Marcus. The man was walking home alone! Hoping he was not too late, the silver warrior dashed at full speed down the mountain slope. His hopes shattered when he heard the ring of gunfire ahead. Cursing, Sephiroth plunged into the unknown ahead and straight into the line of fire. Bullets sang as they ripped through the frigid mountain air, like a haunting melody of coming death.

He could only react, his instincts in full control.

Masamune became a shield, her seven-foot blade moving in his hands at speeds that no normal human could even see. As the last of the bullets fired, she became a sword again, slicing through steel, flesh and bone. His mind was blank. His eyes unseeing. All he do was survive…and so he did.

With a speeding heart, Sephiroth cut down the last of his opponents and came to a pause to catch his breath. As he gulped down lungs full of air, a head of blond spikes caught his attention. He paled. Marcus.

Nearly dropping Masamune, the teen lowered hurriedly into a crouch in the snow. There was blood everywhere…but as he checked for vitals, he found a faint, but existent pulse. Filled with relief as well as a fresh wave of panic, Sephiroth pulled the man onto his back. Moving him was a bad idea but leaving him in the snow was worse of one. He had to get Marcus help but the town was now a warzone. The troops could attack at any given moment.

Left with no better options, the teen began to move as quickly as he could towards Nibelheim.

000X000

It was either by some blessing by Gaia or by some lucky happenstance that the enemy had not began a reign of terror on the town. Everything was quiet and sleepy as it normally was…sort of. When he made it to the Strife residence, shout of panic could be heard inside. Sephiroth, fearing the worst, ran quicker to find the door kicked down.

With the weight of the unconscious man wearing him down, the teen feared that he would not be able to fight. So, quickly and gently, he placed the man on the couch, wishing that he had a Cure or a potion to stop the bleeding. But before he could even think about checking the extent of the man's injuries, another peal of screams caught his attention. Aubrey!

Sephiroth moved into the kitchen where he found three soldiers backing a petrified Mrs. Strife against a wall.

"Where is he?" One of them growled.

"We know your husband works at the reactor." Another added.

Aubrey let out another scream.

"Kill her," the first said with a snort,"She's useless."

"What about the boy?" The third inquired.

"What about him? He ran off into the forest, no doubt the monsters will kill him before morning."

Anger filled the teens gut as he plunged Masamune through the back into the chest of the first soldier. He let out a strangled cry that was quickly cut off by Sephrioth freeing the blade and lopping off his helmet encased head. The other two turned, only to suffer a similar fate.

He was created to be the perfect SOLDIER. A killing machine. A weapon. Seeing the corpses fall to floor did not faze him, nor did their deaths cause him once out hesitation.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, and the blonde woman crumpled to the ground and sobbed.

"M-my husband…" she wailed.

"Alive…"

Aubrey looked up with wide eyes.

"..but barely."

"Gaia! Where is h—"

"On the couch…and if you will excuse me, I have to protect the town."

"Wait!"

Sephiroth stopped mid stride.

"Find him. Please. Find my little Cloud and bring him home."

He nodded. There was no question about it, he would find the boy and make sure he was safe. He may have failed Marcus, but there was no way he would let his son suffer too.

With nothing left to say, Sephiroth plunged into the darkness outside.

000X000

The night was one filled with fighting.

Out of nowhere, men armed with guns and grenades would leap out and attack the town. Only a twisted kind of luck helped Sephiroth cut these troops down before they harmed any of the terrified locals. Blood stained everything. Bodies laid everywhere. It was a massacre.

Only he could stand and fight these men, and he was only one teenager. With no potions or Cure spells, or any materia at all, he was at a an almost laughable disadvantage. The odds were stacked against him. Winning this fight and preventing Wutai from taking over the town was a task for a whole hoard of SOLDIERs.

Then again, Hojo claimed he was supposed to be the best of the best, the perfect SOLDIER. The one man army.

Fear bubbled in his gut. There was good chance he could die before daybreak…what then?

Then, he told himself, Nibelheim would be captured. Then, there would be no one to protect the people from being slaughtered like cattle…Then, there would be no one to save Cloud.

Cloud…he had to find him, but how?

A howl pierced the air. The cry of a Nibel Wolf.

000X000

Unsure of how far he had to run, Sephiroth simply started in the direction of the wolf's cry and kept moving. It was a desperate action, to say the least, to hang onto the belief that the boy was alive and well and all he had to do was get to him in time. That he would be with his friends.

The faint gleam of the sun broke the horizon as he made his way back up the mountainside towards the reactor.

He had been up all night fighting.

Lights still flashed on the outside of the building but Sephiroth ignored them. The place was still intact, that was all that concerned him about it at the moment. He had to find Cloud; that was his top priority.

Moving quickly, he scanned the forest and the rocky path that led further up. Another howl assured him that this was the right direction…the sound of gunfire were a cause for panic.

Sephiroth moved quicker than he thought he could and came to halt when he found a troop of perhaps fifteen men being harried by a pack of six wolves and a little blond boy wielding a stick. Cloud, with a fearless expression on his face, barked out orders to his friends. Bullets rang out, making the silver warrior's heart wrench…until he realized that they were bouncing off something…a Barrier spell! Cloud wore a little silver cuff with a two slots on it.

How in Gaia's name did the boy know how to use materia?

Then again, it did not matter. Cloud was safe…sort of.

"Take that!" he screamed, chucking the stick he brandished so fiercely at the nearest trooper. The projectile bounced off his helmet…the Nibel wolf that followed, however, did not. It was the big alpha. Its coat was torn and ragged, matted with blood and dirt. Yet it still stood by its friend… bravely and loyally. "Hah. I win."

Warmth filled Sephiroth's chest…pride. Which was quickly drenched with horror when one of the Wutain troops slung a grenade at Cloud's feet, the force of the explosion sending him and his Barrier spell sailing backwards…and off the side of cliff into a rocky trench between Nibel Peak and its neighbor.

"I win." One of the men said darkly.

Horror soon turned to rage. How dare they hurt Cloud! Wielding Masamune like the demon he would later be deemed as, Sephiroth demolished the troops, hacking at them until nothing remained but mangled flesh. Then, when he was satisfied, he ran over to the edge of the cliff where the six wolves sat, whimpering.

"No…" the teen breathed with sorrow, before sliding a still bloody Masamune back into her sheath, and leaping into the dangerous valley.

He managed to slow his fall by sliding down the rocky face. But even when he did that, his landing was a rough one, sending a twinge up his spine. Ignoring the pain, he searched for any sign of Cloud.

Minutes ticked by.

Nothing.

Tears began to build in his eyes. No. This was not the way things were supposed to happen! Cloud was a kid…and his friend. Sephiroth was a SOLDIER. He was supposed to protect his friends.

"So brave," he murmured aloud. The kid was willing to befriend monsters and face down armed gunmen wielding only a stick. It took so much courage to do that, especially at the tender age he was. Refusing to believe that the boy was a casualty of the battle, and newly declared war, Sephiroth kept searching… and searching…

000X000

"Did you ever find him?" Zack asked with a choked voice.

Sephiroth let out a soft sigh, "No."

Silence.

"He found me."The General added with a sly smirk.

The raven-haired cadet took in a gasp of air, "You had me feeling sorry for you, thinking your friend died."

A small chuckle. Sephiroth was…laughing?

"Pardon if this tale is not as tragic as you suspected. But it would take much more than a fall down the side of a mountain to kill a boy like Cloud…he truly was amazing." He continued before once again losing himself in the past.

000X000

"What'cha doin'?"

The teen whipped around. He had abandoned his search and was reluctantly trudging towards town, dreading the news he would have to tell the boy's mother. There had been no further gunfire and in the distance he could see that the lights on the reactor were off, meaning 'all clear'. The town was safe…

"C-cloud!" he exclaimed. Standing behind him in tattered clothes and mussed up spikes, was a little blond boy with stubborn smile. The kid was a wreck, blood covered half his face and bruises mottled once flawless white skin. But by Gaia he was alive!

"You look surprised to see me," Cloud replied, staggering forwards. "All I did was fall. The Barrier stopped the rocks from hurting me. See, all good." He waved a trembling arm as if to prove he was okay.

Sephiroth pulled the boy into his arms,"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I-I was not fast enough."

"It's alright. I'm okay." Cloud murmured.

What was he going to tell the kid, that his he left his father wounded and dying on the living room couch? That if he had just taken the man's offer to go to dinner that he'd still be alive?

"Y-your father, h-he.."

"Shhh," Cloud crooned,"Bad men hurt him, didn't they?"

Sephiroth nodded. The boy tried to put on a brave face, but he could see the tears welling up behind those big eyes. Then, he buried his face in the teen's shirt. "I wanna go home."

Without another word, he took the boy home.

000X000

Aubrey Strife nearly broke down with tears when she saw the silver-haired SOLDIER walking towards her home with her son in his arms. Sephiroth could see the emotion flashing behind her eyes as she tried to smother the need to cry with joy and pain. It was understandable. Judging by the black ribbon braided into her hair, she had her son safely returned but lost a loving husband.

As soon as he set Cloud onto the ground, he ran up to his mother and clutched her skirt.

"I love you mommy," he said hoarsely.

"I love you too Cloud. So very much."

"Your son was very brave," Sephiroth interjected, hoping to ease the new-widow's grief with a spark of good. "A real hero."

She looked between her son and the teen curiously.

"He stood down fifteen men and stopped their assault on the reactor. Had he not done so, I might not have had enough time to get there and prevent them from destroying it."

"He what?" Aubrey screeched.

"Be proud of your son, ma'am. Not many children his age could do what he did. If you don't mind me saying so, I think he would make a fine SOLDIER one day."

The blonde woman tossed her head,"My baby is not running off to join the military when he's grown up. He's going to be a scientist at the reactor or a guide for the mountains."

Sephiroth smiled when Cloud shyly looked away from his mother's skirts at him.

"You never know." He said softly before turning away…only to find someone tugging at his pants. The teen looked down and saw the little blond grinning up at him.

"Thank you." Then, the boy reached up and opened Sephiroth's hand before placing something in his palm and closing his fingers around it.

"What's this for?" The teen asked when he saw that it was the silver bracelet with the dual materia slots. "

"To remember me," Cloud replied. Then, he hurried back to his mother and let himself be wrapped in her comforting embrace. Sephiroth watched on with confusion. He did not realize then that those would be the last words he ever heard from the boy.

After returning to the reactor he was rushed into the labs, brought out only when Hojo returned, a whole squad of SOLDIERs behind him looking a little lost. There was destruction and bodies everywhere, but no battle left to fight. When told that Sephiroth, a secret to them until that point, was the one who took down the Wutain invaders, they were baffled.

The rest of the story became a bit of blur after that, even to him. So much happened after Nibelheim. He was shipped out of the small town and slapped with the title of General before being sent into the middle of combat. How he managed to lead the army to victory was still a mystery to him...

But no matter how many times he told his tale about the first battle of the war, people left out the human details. Apparently it was not important to include his friendship with a little boy and how that kid was as much a hero to be praised as Sephiroth…

000X000

"Is…is that it?" Zack asked, his hand hurt from scribbling down notes.

Sephiroth nodded.

"That's…amazing! I'll write the best essay ever…hey, I wonder if Cloud will ever find his way out of Nibelheim. Wouldn't it be cool if he joined SOLDIER?" The cadet remarked with a grin. The General waved for him to leave his office.

"One never knows what the future will bring," the silver warrior replied softly.

Zack, brimming with energy, leapt from his seat and ran out of his office. He had an essay to write.

000X000

**One year later; Nibelheim:**

_A Boy Among Wolves__: _

_The true story behind the Battle of Nibelheim_

_An Essay by Zack Fair_

_ We all know the story about how General Sephiroth fought and won the first battle of the War in Wutai single-handedly. With Masamune in hand, he cut down the enemy forces that attacked the Nibelheim reactor and the town itself. In one night, he went from a mystery to a hero._

_ What is not known, however, is tale of the battle itself. _

_ I, Zack Fair, in an interview with the General himself, have learned the true story. It is a tale of a boy among wolves. Sephiroth was but a teenager, striving and growing stronger in world of expectations. And it was a strange little boy named Cloud Strife that gave him the motivation to become who is today. A child of no more than six or eight years, with wild blond hair and blue eyes, who befriended a pack of the Nibel mountain's most feared monsters…_

"What are you reading, Cloud?"

The blond looked up from where he sat on his bed. His mother stood in the doorway, a basket of laundry resting on one hip, her long hair tied back. He smiled.

"Just a newspaper article, mom."

She tilted her head,"Is it about you-know-who?"

Cloud groaned,"Mom, he has a name. And yes, it's about Sephiroth."

"What grand thing did he do now?"

"Nothing…just, some guy named Zack Fair wrote an essay for some reason and it was published…I think it's because, well, it's the whole story." He told her, his eyes falling back onto the paper.

"You mean….?"

"Yeah mom. It says he interviewed the General himself and I believe him… he mentions me, and you and…dad. Only Sephiroth knew those things… I can't believe he remembers what happened seven years ago after everything else…"

Aubrey Strife walked over to her son and placed the basket down on the floor.

"I wonder if he still has the materia bracelet."

She sat next to him.

"You never know, sweetie."

"No, you never do…" Cloud mumbled, before shaking his head and laughing lightly,"I guess there's only one way to find out."

"Hm?"

Blue eyes glistening with mischief he said,"I'll have to join the SOLDIER program and ask him myself."

He ignored the horrified gasp his mother let out and went back to reading the essay. After all these years… the great General Sephiroth, a man he admired still to this day, remembered his name. Maybe that was enough. But something inside told him that they were to meet again, that there was still something important left to do.

Until he figured out what that something was, Cloud did the only thing he could.

Wait.

**A/N: (I love it when you review my pretties. =3)**


	2. A boy among wolves

**A/N: **

Well, you all managed to sucker me into writing a part two to this bundle of fluff. And guess what? Now you have my mind all busy with thinking up stuff and there is going to be a part three. Hopefully that will be the end of this supposed to be oneshot. So enjoy the cuteness and sarcasm that is teenage Cloud.

**Any comments, reviews and the like are loved. I thrive off feedback.**

**Disclaimer: **This was for fun, not for profit. I own nothing FF7 related….blah blah blah. To quote another writer: "These are not my characters, I'm just abusing them".

**Summary:** Everyone knows that Sephiroth was the hero of the War with Wutai. What happens when the first battle occurs suddenly in the sleepy town of Nibelheim and he's the only SOLDIER there? And how does a little blond boy play a part? AU. Young!Seph & Young!Cloud

**Words: **5,945

**Rating: **T

**The Battle of Nibelheim**

**By Catsitta**

**Part Two:** A boy among wolves

**Three years later; Midgar:**

Standing before the new recruits, Sephiroth felt like an animal on display. True, he was a dangerous animal such as a tiger or wolf, but still, he was caged, trapped, forced to be the entertainment and icon of the proverbial circus that was ShinRa. And here, at this moment, he was feeling particularly abused and humiliated.

Why on Gaia's fucking planet did he have to make a show of himself? Why did he have to be cold and aloof, looking down upon those bright young faces as they stared at him with awe? Why did he have to be reminded that he was a monster? A freak. A subject in a lunatic's lab whose sole purpose was to kill and lead others down that path.

Life was not fair.

He wished that someone, anyone, would stop looking at him like a General and as a friend. A companion. True, he had Zack and the nineteen-year-old was willing to show plenty of affection…but ever since he found that girl in the slums, all he could prattle on about was how in love he was. Sephiroth did not want to sit around and listen to a lovesick teenager talk about his girlfriend.

He did not even like girls!

Okay, no one knew that, and he surprised himself a few years back with the admission…but still. Even if he was straight, he doubted that hearing one of his closest friends jabber nonstop about how pretty his girlfriend's eyes were and how silky her hair was, would be any more of a tolerable topic.

He tried to find comfort in Angeal but the man was distracted by a love interest of his own. The man would not admit who it was, but judging by the way Genesis recently started clinging to the Commander, it did not take much guesswork.

So, here he was, bored out of his mind, feeling friendless and alone, all the while trying to scare the piddle out of the new recruits.

Could life be any worse?

His mind wandered backwards about nine years to that sleepy town of Nibelheim. He thought of that fearless blue-eyed child who befriended Nibel wolves because he could. They were his friends. They were not monsters… he was Sephiroth's friend… did that mean he was simply misunderstood? If people saw the real him, the part of himself he did not realize even existed, could he finally find happiness?

Such pointless hopes.

He would never be happy.

As the last of his speech ended, he looked out one last time over the recruits. Something made him pause and then nearly lose his composure.

Two fearless blue eyes met those of mako green.

Cloud.

Gaia, was fate truly being kind to him or was this some sick joke?

But if this was a joke, someone put some real effort into it. Those features were so familiar, older and finer in shape and cut, but still distinctly Cloud. And that wild, almost unnaturally blond hair. The gravity-defying spikes were longer and wilder, but he would recognize it anywhere. And again, those eyes. Those big, beautiful, fearless eyes that never judged only glittered with curiosity and the desire to understand.

Intelligent. Beautiful. Courageous.

No other recruit looked more promising ever in the history of ShinRa, not even himself.

This child…no, teenager, Cloud would be fifteen by now, was everything that SOLDIER wanted and needed. Well, except stature and strength, he noted with a degree of surprise when the cadets stood and began to file out, murmuring to each other.

The little hero took strongly after his mother, but he had his father's friendly smile.

And that smile remained even as the thick of the crowd cleared, leaving mostly SOLDIERs and executives in the gym turned auditorium. Soon, he was the only cadet remaining in the room.

"Hello again," Cloud said cheerily, the barest hint of the Nibelheim accent in his voice, causing the room to grow silent and for all eyes to fall on him.

Sephiroth took in slow, calming breaths before asking warily,"Cloud…is that…you?"

The blond stepped forwards, ignoring the stares and came to stand a few feet away from the temporary staging area,"The one and only. I mean, honestly, how many mothers would name their child Cloud?"

"I have to admit, not many." The General replied, trying not to completely break down upon reuniting with his long ago friend.

Suddenly, Cloud looked disappointed and cocked his head to the side, much like one of his wolf friends would do when confused. "What, no hug? I know you're the almighty General Sephiroth and all, but sheesh, I came all the way from Nibelheim and the only greeting I get is—" He was cut short when the silver-haired man hopped off the stage and gathered him up in his arms. "Okay, easy there buddy, can't breathe."

Sephiroth released him quickly,"I sort of forgot myself there…" He admitted with slight flush to his pale complexion. He…he never broke character like that. What happened to calm, composed Sephiroth who was indifferent to everything? For the moment, he was…glad that side of him was making himself scarce.

"Hey, no biggie...Hm, can you tell me why everyone looks so...surprised?"

The General glanced around, remembering that they were in a room still full of people. Most of said people stood around looking like goldfish, their mouths hanging open, whatever they were doing forgotten. He smirked, "They're merely shocked to see the real hero of Nibelheim." Sephiroth was sure to make his words heard clearly. If they were skeptical about Zack's claim in the essay, well, there was no doubt now.

Cloud laughed,"Me? Hero? Aw, Sephiroth, all I did was throw a few sticks at the troopers. My friends did most of the work. If it wasn't for Fenrir and his pack, I don't think I could have held their attention very long."

"Fenrir?" The General asked.

"Ah yes, the alpha wolf, y'know, the big one that you tried to chop in half on the day we met. Yeah, that one. I named him Fenrir after the great wolf in local legend that was said to be sire of all Nibel wolves and stood over ten feet tall at the shoulder." Cloud replied rather factually and with another smile. "I don't think I ever told you their names, did I? In all that time I left you thinking they were just nameless creatures I called friends." His hand went to his throat and the leather cord that hung from it. A sad expression crossed his features,"I miss them."

There, now dancing between his fingers was a wolf tooth. Something about it sent shivers down Sephiroth's spine…as if it held significance of some sort.

"Does that belong to one of your friends?" he asked carefully.

"Yeah. It belonged to Fenrir before he died."

That hit the General like a brick wall.

"I'm sorry…" He offered but the blond only smiled again.

"It's okay, it really is. He lived a long life and died peacefully in his sleep. It was nice to be with him when he passed into the lifestream though. A shower of green rain…I was surprised that this was left behind…So I think of it as a thank you gift for being his friend for all those years."

A peaceful silence fell between them.

"Well, I should probably find my room. See you around, Sephiroth." Cloud said after a while, and in flash of blond spikes and blue eyes, he was gone, the door sliding shut behind him, leaving Sephiroth alone to explain the exchange.

Well, he felt the happiest he had in years and damn it if he did not deserve some time to himself. Grinning at the still gawking men and women, he walked out as well, a slight bounce to his step. Perhaps things would get better.

000X000

Zack did not know what to think.

One second, the General was all I'm-high-and-mighty-and-could-squish-you-without-blinking, the next, he was staring off into space looking dazed. As the room cleared out and he managed to get away from the executive that were asking him questions about Sephiroth, one of the recruits walked up to the silver-haired man and said hello. Literally!

There was nothing shy or reserved about his manner. There was no blushing or rapid questions. No enthusiastic fanboy behavior… Just a smile. The blond was small, feminine and stood maybe five and half feet at the most. Certainly not the typical type drawn into the military…then again, if he was bold enough to walk up to Sephiroth he had to give the kid credit, he had guts.

Waiting for the typical reactions to start, Zack found himself floored by the friendly exchange between the two…Wait, did he hear the name Cloud? That meant…Gaia, it was him. Cloud Strife, the little blond from Nibelheim!

The messy spikes that stuck up at every odd angle…the pale skin…the clear-blue eyes. It could not be anyone else.

No wonder Sephiroth grabbed the kid up into a hug. It was almost enough to make Zack jealous. The General did not hug anyone, not even his best friends!

Not wanting to intrude on their little moment, the First watched with amusement and glee as the pair reunited. Then, Cloud gave one final wave and a smile before jogging out of the room, relaxed and apparently happy…Speaking of happy. Sephiroth was glowing. There was a sleepy smile of absolute contentment on his face that Zack was sure he had never seen before. Then, the man simply walked off, no one intercepted him… Not even Zack.

How was it that talking with a kid he had not seen for over nine years made him so relaxed and calm?

Zack narrowed his eyes and smirked. He would just have to find out, now wouldn't he? So who to ask first, Sephiroth or Cloud? Knowing the General's private nature, the First decided to approach the newly made cadet. Honestly, who could resist talking to him? He was Zack Fair, master of the irresistible puppy pout of doom.

000X000

Cloud sat down on his new bed and looked around.

His roommates were already settled in and talking amongst themselves. They looked nice enough. Reno had this smugness about him, but hey, nothing too bad. He was rather attractive, with bright crimson hair that could not be natural and deep green eyes. Even the scars underneath his eyes and the rough slur to his speech that signaled him as being from the slums did not really make Cloud think of him negatively. Then again, he was a positive person.

The other two boys, a slightly overweight carrot-colored kid named Michal, and an athletic brown-eyed brunet named Aspen, seemed like they could be good friends if he put in a little effort. To be honest, people were easier to read than wolves. After all the time he spent with his furry friends, it could not take long for him to figure out what made these boys tick.

Well, with Reno it did not take long at all…

"Hey look, blondie's our roomie." The redhead said with a smirk before walking over and holding out his hand for Cloud to shake. "Nice to meet'cha kid. Say, what took yah so long; get lost or did some sexy SOLDIER catch your eye?" The way he purred out the last of that sentence paired with the suggestive way he smiled told the blond immediately that Reno was flirting with him. His mother called him oblivious when it came to someone being interested while, in reality, it was simply best to feign ignorance, that way people's feelings did not get hurt when he turned them down.

Really, he was not interested in having a relationship with anyone just yet. He was fifteen, why worry himself with finding someone special?

He tried telling his mother that when he complained about Tifa's insistence that he come home and marry her once he became a SOLDIER and she looked him straight in the eye and asked if he was gay. What kind of mother asked their hormonally awkward teenage son that? Well, let no one tell you that Aubrey Strife was one to dance around a subject.

Laughing, he informed his mother that he liked girls.

She asked if he was so certain about that.

Cloud took a moment to think before asking why.

She informed him that there were very few women in the ShinRa military and none in the SOLDIER program. Which meant, he was likely to have advances made on him by men due to his looks…Cloud knew he was pretty. But that did not mean he was gay… well, he had to amend that statement. Not entirely. He was fairly sure that if either a girl or a guy walked up to him and asked him on a date, he would consider saying yes. It was no crime to keep one's options open for the future, no?

So, one could say he was bisexual. He just had not tested that theory yet. There was not exactly a whole lot of eligible anything in Nibelheim other than Tifa and she was a couple years younger than him and a brat. Ah well, again, now was not the time to think about such things… Now was the time to figure out how to respond to Reno's obvious advances….

The redhead squeezed his hand before releasing it.

"Hm, oh, I was catching up with an old friend of mine." Cloud replied with a shrug.

"So yah were eyeing some sexy SOLDIER. Hmm, competition. But I don't mind. Who's the lucky man?" Reno continued to grin, now raking his gaze up and down. "Seriously, you're a small scrap but you look…built." Now how would the obnoxious kid know that? Well, since Reno looked about four years older than himself that was an inaccurate statement, but still… "And I think that's sexy."

Cloud crossed his arms.

"I'm from Nibelheim, a mountain town," he told him without gracing his initial question with an answer,"You don't live in that kind of place your entire life and end up a skinny, little wimp. I mean, we hunt for our meals. We chop wood. We haul water up from wells. We cut ice to get to fish. We do all sorts of physical labor. I may not be your typical mountain bred kid, but I did walk away from there stronger and more used to exercise than most of the recruits here."

Aspen spoke before Reno had a chance to make another lewd comment,"Your name is Cloud, right? Cloud Strife."

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

The brown-eyed boy tilted his head a bit and said,"Let's just say I read it somewhere."

Cloud caught the hint.

"Cool, hey, do you think we could continue this conversation after I'm done unpacking?"

The three other boys nodded and Reno, albeit reluctantly, did not make another flirtatious remark before walking away and having an animated conversation with the others.

Shaking his head, Cloud pulled the duffle bag from off his shoulder (he had completely forgotten about it) and dropped it on the bed. Soon, all his belongs were spread on the sheets and finding their place within the room. An extra blanket, a package of photographs, spare civilian clothes and such ended up in his issued trunk. Toothbrush and other, related items were placed in the bathroom. His CDs and mini stereo found their way under his bed. His special memory box was the only thing left on the mattress when all else was put away.

Glancing around the room to make sure no one was looking; Cloud gave one of his secretive smiles and opened the plain wooden box. On the outside, it looked like nothing special. Stained wood and tarnished silver joints. It was like a little chest that one would find in their attic that an old woman would keep photographs or letters in to remember that husband they lost in a war long since passed.

Lifting the lid revealed it to be very special.

The inside was lined with black felt and kept safe his prized treasures… most of which involved a certain silver-haired General. Carefully, he shuffled through the contents. Newspaper clippings. Magazine photographs. A rolled up recruitment poster. A map with the major battles of the Wutai War marked. A Barrier materia and a Cure(cadet's were not supposed to have the crystals, but hey, who was to know?). His parents' wedding picture. And a silver cuff bracelet with two materia slots…the twin to the one he gave Sephiroth nine years ago.

He picked it up and sighed.

Did the General keep the other? Was it lost in the war? Did it matter?

Cloud chuckled softly. No it didn't. But it was nice to believe that the great General Sephiroth would keep a gift from a six year old after all that has happened. Then again, if he remembered his name and with such fondness, maybe he kept the bracelet as a token… a memory.

"You remembered me…" He murmured, considering what to do with the piece. Wear it? Put it away? After a long, drawn out pause, he slipped the cuff on his wrist beneath the sleeve of his new, light gray cadet uniform. No one could see it but he would know it was there…Nice. Though, he knew that it would be smart to change out of said uniform in a little while…

With that done, he shut the box and slid it under his bed. Hopefully, his roommates would not go rummaging under there any time soon.

000X000

Zack, after doing some research via flirting with one of the female Turks, learned a couple things about this Cloud Strife kid that Sephiroth praised so highly. One, he was staying in room 315. And two, he passed his entrance exams with ease. Apparently, for all the kid was small and delicate, he was not weak. He outran a majority of the other recruits and could do more sit ups, pushups and the like than most of them. And, Cloud was smart as Sephiroth was strong. Zack did not realize one could get perfect scores on those written tests; he thought that they were rigged to be impossible.

But no…

How did a mountain boy like Cloud learn so much?

Hmmm, mysteries to solve.

At least the subject of said mystery was freaking adorable! For some reason. Zack just wanted to grab the boy up and squeeze him. But that would be inappropriate… Ah, who was he kidding? He would hug the cadet whether he liked it or not because that is what someone gets for being that darn cute. No wonder Sephiroth broke from his cold persona and cuddled the kid. Who couldn't?

Skipping and humming under his breath, the SOLDIER pondered all these things on the way to room 315.

Cadets he passed watched him pass with wide eyes filled with admiration and awe. He was used to it. Honestly, how often did a SOLDIER First Class grace the lower ranking barracks, much less with a broad grin and a bounce to his step? Low murmurs began to ripple through the wide-eyed recruits as they gossiped with each other.

Why was the fourth most well-known SOLDIER in the military here? Who was he looking for? Was he really only nineteen? Was he here to kick someone out? Was he here to merely say hello? Was he actually friendly or was that smile he wore a mask for a sadistic inner demon?

At his destination, Zack knocked on the door and bounced lightly on the balls of his feet as he waited for it to be answered.

A redhead opened the door with a smug grin but the expression faltered when he saw who stood before him.

With raven spikes and unmistakable aquamarine eyes, the First had no doubt that his appearance sent flags of recognition up within the cadet's mind. Green eyes went wide then narrow and rather than asking what Zack wanted or jumping into a salute, he turned and shouted back into the room.

"Hey Blondie, I think your sexy, SOLDIER followed yah home. Why didn't yah tell me who it was?"

A shuffled of movement could be hear from within the room before a soft voice called back in reply,"I told you Reno, I was not eyeing any SOLDIER. Whoever it is, you should probably salute or something."

"Riiight, so you're tellin' me that THE Zack Fair is at our door for another reason?" Reno teased back, his gaze flicking back to the First occasionally. Apparently he was unfazed by his own blatant display of disrespect.

A pause.

"Did you say…Zack Fair?" Came a curious reply.

"Yah."

"Hold on a second, I'll be right there…" Then, Reno stepped to the side to reveal the delicate blond. Cloud Strife. Except, no longer was he wearing a baggy uniform, instead he wore civilian attire. Faded, once dark-blue, low-slung jeans with frayed cuffs framed toned legs. A black (obviously new) athletic T-shirt with the ShinRa logo on the shoulder displayed his lean (not fragile) build. These were complimented with rustic leather belt with a wide gold buckle; plain black, low gloss "cowboy" boots with threaded designs and little silver chains looped behind the heels; a silver cuff bracelet; and a leather cord with a wolf's tooth hanging from it like a pendant.

In short, Cloud looked like a country boy.

Also, he was sexy.

Zack had to resist the urge to comment on this. He had a girlfriend but he was a shameless flirt by nature. True, he had no sexual interest in other males, but damn was it hard not to say when he thought someone was hot. Man, who knew that the stubborn little kid from Sephiroth's story would grow up into this?

"Sir," Cloud seemed relatively at ease with the First's presence though he was offering a polite salute.

"Hello, would you happen to be Cloud Strife?"

The blond nodded.

"At ease cadet, I just want to talk."

Cloud lowered his hand and quirked his head to the side, "So you're Zack Fair…? Were you the one who wrote about the Battle of Nibelheim about three years ago?"

The First grinned,"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

Reno popped his head into the doorway,"The Battle of what?"

"Nibelheim," both Zack and Cloud replied at the same time, much to the redhead's amusement.

"Get outta here, Blondie. Have fun talkin' with your SOLDIER friend." Reno urged with a suggestive smirk before shoving the blond out and slamming the door shut. After a near collision with the First, Cloud shuffled backwards and frowned at the closed entryway behind him.

"Great. My roommate already thinks I'm an easy lay." The blond grumbled under his breath,"I'm never going to hear the end of it…Ah well, could be worse I guess…" He shook his head and smiled up at Zack,"You said you wanted to talk to me?"

The SOLDIER nodded,"Yeah. Hey, come with me. We can talk in my office."

"So what did you want to know?"

000X000

"So that all really happened, huh?" Zack asked after a long conversation with the new cadet he had quickly deemed 'chocobo', 'Spike' and a few other fitting nicknames. Resisting the urge to cuddle and squeeze the daylights out of the blond, he managed to act somewhat professional as he inquired about some of the events that occurred that fateful day in Nibelheim.

Cloud nodded and his gaze fell to the silver cuff on his wrist, absently, he began to toy with it.

"I wonder if he kept it…" The boy murmured his voice silky and full of emotion.

"Kept what, Spike?" The raven-haired First leaned forwards to prop his elbow on the desk. Acting all serious and stuff was giving him a serious cramp in his lower back. It took all of his control not to stand up and start doing squats right there in the middle of the 'interview'. He was not affectionately named 'Puppy' by his mentor for no reason. Zack Fair would be the first to admit he had lots of energy and always felt the need to wiggle and move.

A small laugh drew his attention away from his minor aches.

"Oh, nothing. Just a memory, is all." Cloud said before yawning. "Hmm, sorry 'bout that. Must be more tired than I thought."

Zack glanced up at the clock behind him on the wall (when did he get a clock and why had he never noticed it before now? What amazing things one discovered when sitting still for—oh! Five hours straight.). It was well past curfew and after a long bus ride into Midgar, it was amazing that Cloud was keeping his eyes open. What a trooper.

Smiling affectionately, as he had a tendency to do, the First rose from his seat and wandered closer to the blond cadet. After ruffling the spikes with his hand he said,"C'mon, Cloud. Let's get you to the barracks and into bed. I'll walk with you so that you don't get in trouble. This is my fault, after all."

"Sure, thanks." Cloud mumbled with a sleepy smile.

The spiky-haired pair left the office, one dead asleep on his feet and the other still brimming with energy. After staggering twice on their way down the hall, Zack deemed Cloud incapable of walking on his own and insisted that the blond use him to lean on. Oddly enough, the cadet seemed to have no qualms about doing so and gave the better part of his weight to his superior officer. How was the kid so relaxed around SOLDIERS? Honestly, normal recruits were a bunch of flustered, scatterbrains when around one of the Firsts.

It was just one more thing to love about the chocobo head. How could someone wrap you around their finger so quickly? After talking to the kid for only a few hours, Zack felt like he had known Cloud all his life like a little brother of sorts.

Sleepy-eyed and content to use Zack as a post, Cloud was softly snoring during their trip down the elevator. It took all of the SOLDIER's self-restraint not to pick up the cadet and carry him to barracks like a little kid. Instead, he prodded the blond softly, causing him to yawn and totter forwards with a mumbled apology. Really, this kid needed to get to bed and get some rest.

A long walk later, they arrived at the correct room, and after peeling the sleeping cadet from his arm, Zack opened the door with his universal key card and let Cloud inside.

"Go to sleep, Spike." The raven-haired SOLDIER whispered with a playful smile.

Cloud stretched and nodded in agreement, "Sounds good." Then, he flashed the most dazzling smile Zack had ever seen. It was such a bright and innocent expression. Those sleep heavy eyes glittered above softly flushed cheeks. How many people saw the blond smile that way? He hoped those who did appreciated it. Such a smile was enough to melt his heart even more and it was already a puddle of goo.

Feeling weightless, Zack padded backwards out of the room, watching with a lingering gaze as the little blond strolled over to his bottom bunk bed and kick off his shoes. At last, he closed the door.

000X000

Cloud stripped down to his boxers and was tempted to leave his clothes on the floor and his teeth un-brushed, but old habits were darn hard to kick, so despite his tiredness, he went about his evening routine. Dirty clothes were folded and tucked under the bed until laundry night, his boots sat beside his issued trunk and soon his face and teeth were nice and clean.

Exhausted, Cloud made his way to bed at last, collapsing on top of the sheets and lying there for a while before at last pulling the cover over his mostly bare body. As he finally closed his eyes to get some sleep, an unwelcome hand began to prod at his face. Cloud twitched, turning over to ignore whoever it was. Then, said whoever, slapped a hand over his mouth and proceeded to shake him until he woke.

Startled, the blond reacted to the assault in the only way he knew how. He balled a fist and hit whoever it was as hard as he could wherever the blow landed. Judging by the way bone crunched beneath his knuckles, his assailant had a broken nose, though said person did not remove the hand covering Cloud's mouth. At last opening his eyes, the blond saw who it was that so idiotically woke him up in such a way.

Reno. Of course.

Cloud quirked a brow, pointed at the hand over his mouth and waited. The redhead, occupied with his bleeding nose, did not notice the gesture. Slowly, so as not to startle him, Cloud gripped the older teen's wrist and ease the hand away from his face. Reno gave no resistance, though he did turn to look at Cloud, surprise and annoyance in his green gaze.

"Yes, Reno?" Cloud inquired with a smirk.

"Shit you're strong, Blondie, and fast!" Reno complained, he had since pulled off the tank top he was wearing and was holding it against his injury. "I just wanted to talk, yo."

"It couldn't have waited until morning," Cloud paused, before adding with a smirk,"yo?"

The redhead snorted and eyed Cloud with amusement,"Yah sound like a country git tryin' to be a city boy when yah say that."

Cloud shrugged,"I admit that my accent is strong when I am tired, or have just woken up."

"Strong aint halfway to describing it, Blondie." Reno replied sarcasticly,"I can barely understand yah."

"Welcome to my world, in which, I must translate half of whatever spouts out of your mouth."

The pair watched each other for a minute, before matching grins broke out on their faces.

"I like yah, Blondie. Yah got moxy, that's for sure."

"Is 'moxy' the word their using now a days to describe smart ass blonds?" Cloud was matching Reno for every ounce of sarcasm dripped in his tone.

"Ha, you wish." The redhead grunted, his eyes practically crossing when he pulled the shirt away from his still bleeding nose. Though, inwardly, Cloud refrained from mentioning that no matter how hard Reno tried, he was not going to be able to see his own nose without a mirror.

"So, back to my initial question. Whatever you had to say could not have waited until morning?"

Reno shook his head and flinched when he pressed the cloth back against his face.

"Well, I guess it coulda, but still… I wanna know how yer date with Fair went. All that talk of some battle gotta have been some sort of cover story. So spill."

Cloud rolled his eyes,"Seriously. You woke me up to know how my not-date with Zack went? I'll be honest with you Reno, it wasn't date, so, there's nothing to spill. We talked about Nibelheim and I filled him in on some the gaps in his essay. Though, after all these years I was surprised that Sephiroth remembered that day well enough to recount it with such accuracy for Zack."

When Reno's eyes started to bug out a bit, Cloud tilted his head in confusion,"What?"

"Yah just said the General's name like he was some sort of old friend."

"Yes, and?"

"Do yah actually know THE General, like, personally?"

"Sort of…and?"

"Shit, yo, how?"

"Um. We met nine years ago. Didn't you ever read Zack's essay, 'A Boy Among Wolves'?"

"No…"

"Well, if you had you would know that the Battle of Nibelheim happened in my hometown. Before such, we met. He wasn't even a SOLDIER then, just, a teenager. A bit moody and odd, but otherwise like anyone else. One day he was out in the forest and he tried to kill one of my friendly Nibel Wolves, Fenrir. I jumped between them and well, it's history in the making from there." Cloud explained, shrugging afterwards as if it were nothing important or special.

"You gotta be the luckiest kid ever," Reno mumbled.

"No, just in the right places at the right time… Now, if there are no more questions, I'm going to sleep now."

A few more complaints later and the redhead disappeared somewhere in the darkened room. With a chuckle and slight shake of his head, Cloud finally went to sleep.

000X000

The next day, Zack was determined to talk to Sephiroth. After his conversation with Cloud, he was now curious as to how the General was feeling about the boy being in Midgar.

Strolling into the man's office like usual, the raven-haired First expected to find the silver General leaned over a pile of paper work, a cup of cold coffee sitting forgotten on the corner. Instead, he found the room empty, the inbox filled with documents that needed his signature. Knowing Sephiroth to neither be a late riser or one to shirk work, Zack decided to hunt the man down.

He had to be in the building somewhere.

Following his instincts, the First made his way to the observation deck. Standing there, hands crossed behind his back, watching the cadet training with unusual interest, was Sephiroth.

"Seph…?" Zack approached quietly and placed a hand on the General's shoulder,"You okay?"

A smile cracked the cold façade he normally held. Sephiroth almost never showed any emotion towards anyone. "Quite alright, Zackary. In fact, I'm feeling better than I have in years."

The First looked through the one-way glass into the gym. All the cadets were learning drill. Sergeant Collins, wielding a whistle and an outrageously loud voice, barked out commands and insults as they were due. Many of the green recruits cringed away from the man, others attempted to make smart remarks, but a few merely did as they were told, no hesitation or question crossing their minds. Ones of these levelheaded few was none other than Cloud Strife.

"He's quite a kid,"Zack murmured,"Real special."

"Very…" Sephiroth's voice was quiet.

"What's on your mind, Seph?"

"I am merely pondering how quickly he took away all the question…all the wonder. Before today, I was considering an early retirement. I've nearly served my ten years, it's about time I had a life of my own. But…"

"—but then Cloud walked in and you wanted nothing more than to stay?" Zack finished for him.

Sephiroth glanced towards the raven-haired SOLDIER and nodded, he looked slightly guilty.

"I understand, Seph. Something about the kid just makes you feel warm inside. If anyone out there could make you happy, I think he could." Zack said with a grin,"Give it some time. Let him find himself in this world. When he becomes a SOLDIER, no one will question you two being friends."

"Until then?" Sephiroth asked.

"Until then, keep watching, Seph."

"What if he does not make it? I would have wasted six months of time I could have been happy, just to watch him disappear."

"That won't happen, Seph. Don't worry."

A pause,"Keep him safe, Zackary. Please."

"You didn't have to ask." Was Zack's only reply, before he turned and walked away, leaving the silver General to his quiet observations.

Only time would tell if Cloud would make it into SOLDIER or if the strange blond would be the person to finally melt the General's cold heart. But if the way those green eyes were seeking those blue, Zack knew that there was only one thing he could do.

Wait.

**A/N: ( As you have no doubt noticed, this chapter is shorter and ends similar to the last. Why? Well, to answer the first question, I felt like this was a logical place to stop. And to answer the second, I rather enjoy playing with a continued theme or motif. The next part will likely have a similar ending. It's kind of interesting how you can take different routes and end up making a complete circle, isn't it? Anywho, there is a part three coming up, so yeah… Please review. It makes me ever so warm and fuzzy feeling. Also, check out my other stories. And I'll stop talking now 'cause a great deal of you probably don't care. Hehe. )**


	3. Secrets of the moon

**A/N: **Okay, this is becoming another one of my extended stories rather quickly, isn't it? –sigh- I must confess, there is more to come after this. Inspiration keeps driving me to continue. Also, I'm an angst monster. I can't help it. Cuddles and fluff are great and all, but some of ya'll should have expected this to take a turn. Again, I'm a sucker for happy endings, so this story will not have a gruesome end.

**Any comments, reviews and the like are loved. I thrive off feedback.**

**Disclaimer: **This was for fun, not for profit. I own nothing FF7 related….blah blah blah. To quote another writer: "These are not my characters, I'm just abusing them".

**Summary:** Everyone knows that Sephiroth was the hero of the War with Wutai. What happens when the first battle occurs suddenly in the sleepy town of Nibelheim and he's the only SOLDIER there? And how does a little blond boy play a part? AU. Young!Seph & Young!Cloud

**Words: **6,039

**Rating: **T (violence, moderate gore, death, language)

**The Battle of Nibelheim**

**By Catsitta**

**Part Three: **Secrets of the moon

**Six months later; Midgar**

"Michal, Aspen, Royce, Reno: Damn it, report!" Cloud hissed into his PHS. The device was supposed to keep their team connected but the satellite tracking system was going nuts. Little red dots that marked enemies on the scanner kept leaping around the screen and the blue dots that marked his teammates were nowhere to be found. To make matters worse, no one was answering his calls.

A shift of movement in the shadows made Cloud freeze and suck in a deep breath. The air was cold and but thick with pollution, making the blond cringe at the bitter taste and acidic burn at the back of his throat. If there was one thing he missed sorely about home it was the clean mountain air. But now was not the time to get home sick. This was the biggest test of his life: the practical portion of the SOLDIER entrance exams.

It was rather odd how everyone referred to the tests to get into the training program itself, and the final exam after the training, as the entrance exams. Cloud wondered about this for a while, but dismissed it, deciding that the military could call the tests whatever they wanted. Because unless he found his team, it was highly possible that all his hard work would go down the drain and he would fail to make it into SOLDIER.

True, he was no longer a cadet. After a few missions gone right with various teams (every recruit had to join at least three official missions before he could even think about taking the final exam), Cloud was now a private, but that rank was still on the bottom rung of the military ladder. Failure now would mean he either went home a nobody or stayed in the regular army for six months before having another shot at the exams.

He refused to fail.

Aubrey Strife did not raise her son to be anything less than whoever he strived to be. After Marcus Strife's death, both wife and son pursued the future. She raised her son to be smart and confident, and Cloud raised himself above being the runt and joined the army. He would not let his mother down. Or, he decided the day the Wutai War began, Sephiroth. Yes. He would make the great silver elite, the General of the ShinRa army, proud.

Gripping the PHS tighter in his hand, Cloud set his jaw with determination.

He had to find his team.

That meant abandoning his hiding place in the alleyway. The shadowy sanctuary was a logical place to rest and wait for his fellow SOLDIER wannabes since there was only one direction from which monsters could attack. Two filthy brick walls and a dilapidated chain link fence was all the protection Cloud needed, but it had been almost half an hour. He had to get moving.

Pocketing the currently useless device and adjusting his gear, the blond hurried out into the streets. In his hands was a standard-issue broadsword, its weight and length cumbersome for the unenhanced, but a crucial tool nonetheless. Slung over his shoulder was his mission pack. And resting on his chest from a leather strap was a rifle. If worst came to worst, tucked away in his boot was a combat knife and his pack held extra ammo.

So far, Cloud had only fired the gun a few times since he preferred the feel of the sword in his hands. And, he had not had to use his equipped materia at all. The Cure and Barrier were slotted in the silver bracelet, ready and waiting to be called upon. Zack told him that if you were lucky enough to own materia or any other mission appropriate item, that you were free to use it on the exams and Cloud was thankful for the fact.

After checking that the path was clear, Cloud began to run down the street. Where in Gaia's name was everybody? Midgar was a big place but his team was supposed to stay in the Sector Five slums. There was no possible way that they could disappear like this without leaving the area entirely.

That was when he heard the scream.

Acting on instinct, the blond ran towards the sound. His steps taking straight into the ruined shell of what appeared to be a church. Slowing down when he entered the building, Cloud searched for the source of panic. Then he saw her.

Lying there unconscious amongst a bed of flowers (who knew they actually grew in Midgar?), was a beautiful teenage girl. Her long brunette braid was halfway uncoiled, her blue-striped sundress had a long tear along one side, and there was a big, pink bow lying beside her. Remembering Zack's stories about his beloved girlfriend, Cloud knew that this had to be her, Aerith.

Gently, he stroked the girl's face, before checking her pulse. Cloud let out a sigh of relief. Aerith was fine, unconscious from whatever shock she suffered, but otherwise fine. Noting that there was a slowly growing stain of blood on the girl's dress, the blond decided that it was time to use his neglected materia. Focusing his energy on the orb, he found the lowest level spell, and cast a basic Cure, murmuring the word 'Heal' as he did so. Green light enveloped Aerith and as it faded, emerald eyes fluttered open.

He offered a smile.

Zack mentioned that his girl was nervous around SOLDIERS, and that it had taken months to earn her trust and almost a year before he even dared asking her out on a date.

"W-who are you?" The brunette's voice was soft and melodic and betrayed every ounce of mistrust and abuse she ever suffered. She was fragile, wary and tired. Cloud could see that in her eyes. She just wanted to be safe, away from all the hate and suffering.

Cloud had long since abandoned his sword, but he became aware of the rifle hanging from his chest and quickly removed it, along with the heavy pack. After depositing his gear to the side, he answered. "Cloud. Cloud Strife. I'm a friend of Zack's. You must be Aerith, right?"

"Z-zack. You know Zack?" She sounded both anxious and hopeful.

Nodding, he added,"Yes. He told me that you were a beautiful girl who loved beautiful things." He glanced at the flowers Aerith remained among,"That you could grow flowers even in a polluted place like Midgar."

Aerith sat up and blinked slowly,"You have pretty eyes."

"What?" Cloud was not exactly sure how to respond to that statement.

The girl reached out and touched his cheek and added,"I…I…thank you for helping me."

"What happened?" He asked, careful not to startle Aerith as she began to toy with his hair. Zack mentioned that it was best to let the brunette do what she wanted to, it always appeared to calm her down when she was upset.

"I'm not sure. I was watering my flowers when…everything got cold. Something hit me and then…nothing. I can't remember." A grimace contorted Aerith's features as she continued,"It's not safe for you to be here. Leave, Cloud. I'm sorry, but…" Gunfire from outside sent Cloud leaping to his feet. Strangled, unnatural cries erupted from the street. "Go, hurry, Cloud. I will be safe here. Your friends need your help."

Reluctantly, Cloud nodded and swept up his equipment, too caught up in the rush of the moment he forgot to wonder how Aerith knew that he was not alone in the Sector. Once outside again, he faced a sickening sight. Michal lay motionless on the ground, his body mangled and covered in blood. Royce and Aspen were weak and exhausted, barely able to hold up their weapons. And Cloud could not even see Reno.

But what sent chills through his body was the monster the duo faced with absolute terror written on their features. Cloud had never seen anything like it before, not even in the monster catalogues they kept on their person that held stat information and weaknesses. It was a strange, mutated beast, with a long body that was a mess between a Gryphon and a serpent. Four legs protruded from the shifting, scaly sides, each limb ending in cruel, curved claws. Its head was a distorted mess of features; an elongated snout that looked halfway caved in on itself; pencil long teeth that stuck out at every angle; three yellow eyes with slit pupils; its face resembled melting flesh and tissue, sagging skin revealing pearly bone. Two long horns protruded from the top of its skull and a it had a barbed lash for a tail. If the creature had wings, they were mutilated beyond recognition because all Cloud saw between its shoulders was a long, bloodied gash.

"Shit!" The exclamation seemed appropriate when the ugly beast turned its sights on him.

It let out an ungodly, earsplitting screech before some kind of goop erupted from its maw. Cloud leapt to the side and rolled out of the way. Where he was standing before had become a puddle of stinking, bubbling tar.

"It spits acid!" Royce shouted weakly. The dark-haired, pretty boy was never the brightest bulb in the box.

"I figured that out." Cloud growled, leaping away from another splash of goop. "Can you tell me what I'm supposed to hit this thing with?"

Aspen, who was taking the monster's distraction as a chance to reload his gun (Where in hell was his sword? Aspen always had a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other, he was nearly useless with a gun, but a force to be reckoned with when dual wielding blades.), shouted,"Physical attacks. Materia slides off this thing like nothing else. Blades are your best bet, but getting up close is a death wish!" His gaze momentarily fell to the limp form of their fallen companion.

"Aw hell!" Royce was a materia user by nature. So in his attempt to slash at the monster as it chased Cloud, he managed to lose the blade. The beast let out another shriek. Apparently having three feet of steel imbedded into one's ass was not pleasant (though why Royce stuck it there was anyone's guess).

The whiplash for a tail snaked around the dark-haired teen and sent him sailing across the street. He slammed into the side of a building before sliding to the ground with a dull '_thump_'.

Aspen gritted his teeth and unleashed a series of bullets. His aim was beyond terrible, but enough hit true to make the beast recoil and thrash with pain. Bizarre, black blood oozed from the wounds and the stuff sizzled when it hit the cement.

Cloud took the monster's distraction as an opportunity to close in and slash at its throat. The blade slid through sickly flesh and the bile the monster had for blood, spurted from the cut. But, instead of falling, the creature's battle range seemed to increase and it turned its sights back onto the blond. Avoiding the acidic blood and spit, Cloud managed to steal another blow, swiping the scaly hide with the quickly dulling blade. Soon the thing would be useless and all that he would have left to defending himself with would be a gun and a knife.

Fear started to build in his chest.

No longer was he afraid of failing the test. He was terrified of dying here and now. This monster was way out of their level, and with two team members down, one of which potentially dead, and another missing—there was next to no chance for them to survive. Desperate and frightened, he returned to Aspen's side, wielding what remained of his sword. They exchanged a single glance that both understood as meaning,"This is our last stand. We're actually going to die."

"We have to keep strong." Cloud whispered.

Aspen nodded,"If nothing else, we went down fighting."

Then, they both held up their guns—Cloud dropped the ruined blade—and fired.

000X000

It all happened in a blur; he was not sure exactly what happened.

As the last bullets imbedded into the beast and it at last fell, the two teens had sighed with relief. Both looked on the verge of tears but, by Gaia, they were alive! Then, a horrible cold washed over them and Aspen cried out in pain. Cloud watched in horror as his companion collapsed to the ground, a single, long gash along his ribs. Already weak from the earlier battles, Aspen could no longer hold onto consciousness.

Now the lone, awake member of their broken team, Cloud searched for whatever had attacked Aspen because the same creature assaulted Aerith.

"Die little SOLDIER,"came the iniquitous hiss and Cloud barely avoided a blade aimed for his ribs. "You may have saved the Certa girl, but you can't save yourself." Breathing in heavy pants, the blond found himself face-to-face with a black cloaked stranger. In his hands, he wielded twin, wicked-looking daggers—ebony steel, gleaming wetly with blood; a fine mist of blue-tinged frost clouding around each dangerous blade.

"Who a-are you?" Cloud shifted backwards, the empty rifle quivering in his unsteady hands.

"Just a seeker of justice." The stranger growled,"Your blood will be but a drop compared to the amount ShinRa has spilled. But vengeance shall be mine." Suddenly, Cloud found himself dodging a flurry of impossibly quick thrusts and strikes. Adrenaline made it possible, but quickly, fatigue was closing in. Soon, those blades nicked his skin in a dozen different places. Blood dribbled freely, but every inch of damaged flesh felt numb. He was cold. So cold.

Terrified, he screamed for help, begging for anyone who heard him to do something. But no one was there to hear. Royce and Aspen remained unconscious and Michal was likely dead. There was no one left to save him.

One misstep later, Cloud's knees buckled and he fell into a heap on the ground.

Staring up with wide, frightened eyes, he watched as the dagger raced towards him in slow motion. There was nothing he could do. He was defenseless.

'_There is still a chance. You have to keep strong. At least then you can say you went down fighting.'_ It was a little voice, barely a whisper at the back of his mind. _'You still have a choice, die or die fighting. What is it going to be?' _Cloud's hand went for the knife in his boot. _'You've faced odds greater than this. Six wutain soldiers each armed with rifles and grenades. You fought them with only a stick and a Barrier materia.' _That was not quite true. He had his wolves behind him. Fenrir and his pack. Then Sephiroth came out of nowhere and kicked ass. _'They have not left you. Your friends always remain close. Have faith in your strength and their devotion. Call them and they will come. They will fight at your side for as long as you keep fighting.'_

His hand closed around the knife's hilt. Those daggers were so close. So eager for blood. He could feel the icy chill rolling off the blades. He refused to die like this. No Gaia damned stranger was going to kill him! He was the hero of the Battle of Nibelheim! He would become a SOLDIER. He would make Sephiroth proud. And he would never forget his friends.

"Fenrir, give me strength!" Cloud shouted at the top of his lungs, drawing the blade and meeting his attacker head on.

A rush of sound and sensation washed over him. He felt both impossibly hot and cold at the same time. A howl pierced the air. His enemy let out a cry of surprise as their weapons were knocked aside by a mere boy with a combat knife. Little did he know that Cloud was never alone.

"W-what? Impossible!"

Cloud surged forwards, using his enemy's distraction against him, completely oblivious to the ethereal shape that fought alone side him. All he was aware of was the faint growl of a wolf and the slightest brush of warm fur against his skin. Soon, the clatter of steel against cement signaled that his foe was disarmed. Without questioning how he accomplished the task, the blond rushed forwards and lashed out one more time, sinking the blade into his enemy's throat.

At last, the hood fell back as his foe fell to the ground, revealing a wutainese man with a long scar on his cheek. With one last hateful glare, the man finally grew still, his lifeblood pooling beneath him, mingling with the grotesque bile of the previously felled monster.

Alone, Cloud stood in the darkness, his breathing short and shallow. Coated in sweat, blood, bile and grime, the blond at last crumpled to his knees, his face upturned towards the obscured sky. Moonbeams danced among the shadows, casting everything in the silver glow of night. He felt strangely twisted up inside—almost empty. He had never taken a human life before.

Closing his eyes and giving in to the call of oblivion, Cloud did not notice the bright shimmer of gold rain pass over him—he just detected the faintest brush of fur against skin and the comforting warmth of something familiar.

000X000

_"Hey Spike, wake up…awe, kid, you have to wake up." _

Zack?

_"Hang in their kiddo. We'll get you patched up good as new. Just promise me you'll wake up."_

Cloud laughed, only, it was something he alone could hear. Why was Zack freaking out? He was fine. Just…tired. Yes. Tired. Couldn't the First let him sleep a little longer? It had been so long since he felt this exhausted.

"_Shit, please Cloud. You cannot do this to me. Hang on. Whatever you do, don't go into the light!"_

Such a silly SOLDIER. He was not dying. He was just tired and wanted to sleep, is all. Didn't he understand that? What was so wrong with wanting to stay in this little paradise for a while longer?

Cloud glanced around his dream world.

Nibelheim in the summer was such a beautiful place. He was sitting on his favorite outcropping, looking out over the town. Everything was so tiny from where he was. People looked like little ants, scuttling and racing about mindlessly. Beside him were his friends, all of them. He smiled at the lounging Nibel Wolves, wondering why people found the beautiful creatures so scary and monstrous. Sure, they could be aggressive, but only when frightened or protecting their territory.

To many, the enormous beasts probably looked the same too. Such nonsense.

Fenrir was the biggest of the pack, with more scars on his body than Cloud could count. His mate, Astra, was the largest female and her eyes were a rare shade of blue. Their two daughters, Dissa and Eir, were twins in the way they looked, but vastly different in personality. Dissa was so bouncy and alive, while Eir was so quiet and content with gazing at the sky. Valkyrie was always a little standoffish and easily agitated, perhaps because she was Fenrir's mate before Astra fought for the rank. And then there was Kol, Fenrir's only son and current alpha male of the pack. His fur had lightened since his birth when it was pure black, but compared to the others, he was like a shadow.

With a heart swollen with adoration, Cloud could not dream of leaving this wonderful place just yet. Though, when everything brightened, the serene atmosphere was broken.

_"Damn it Cloud. Please. You have to wake up. I promised him I would take care of you. I promised that you would live to become a SOLDIER. Please, come back to us, Spike. Please…"_

The pain in Zack's voice was enough to break the dream apart completely. Nibelheim disappeared, leaving Cloud alone with the strangest sensation of floating. He felt peculiar. Almost insubstantial. There was that light again. It was a single point in the distance about the size of a baseball.

_"No…No!"_

He reached forwards, drawn towards it.

_"Gaia, where's a Phoenix Down when you need one?"_

The orb of light grew larger. Welcoming him.

_"I know they're fucking expensive, but I don't give a shit! He can't die."_

The glow shifted to take on a green hue. A soft song pulled him closer. It bid him peace. It bid him sleep. It bid him to forget. This was his end. His promised place in the Lifestream.

_"Get away from me! I'm not leaving him."_

He hesitated.

_"No! Please. He can't be dead."_

Dead? He was not dead, just…sleeping…right?

_"Thank Gaia you're here, Seph. Please, you gotta help Spike."_

Sephiroth?

_**"Is he?"**___

___"No. He can't be. He's alive, Seph. He's gotta be alive!"_

_**"His pulse…he doesn't have one, Zack. I'm sorry."**_

___"No, Seph… I'm sorry. I promised I'd keep him safe and I failed."_

_**"No, you did not fail. What occurred during the exams was nothing you could have prevented. Their monitor was killed and we had no idea what had happened or what was happening."**_

__Cloud pulled back from the orb completely.

"I'm not dead," he whispered before turning away from the light and shouting,"I'M NOT DEAD!"

The light began to fade.

"Zack. Sephiroth. I'm okay!" Cloud continued, fighting through the murky shadows that now surrounded him. "Please, don't leave."

Then, he felt himself falling…and falling…and…

000X000

Sephiroth wrestled with the panicked First in his arms, trying to pull him out of the hospital room. How could he get it through Zack's head that Cloud was dead and nothing was going to change that?

Grief tugged in his chest and burned.

It hurt him just as badly, if not more, to walk away from the fragile blond. The little hero he admired and watched from afar, whose very presence warmed his soul, was dead. Sephiroth could not restrain the flood of 'what-ifs' that plagued him. What if he had gotten there in time? What if he had taken these past six months of watching and instead spent them with a precious friend?

As he at last made it to the doorway, a sound made him hesitate. It was a tiny sound, but an important one. A beep. The machine monitoring Cloud's vitals had beeped. Sephiroth paused. The sound repeated. A disbelieving smile worked its way onto his lips. Another beep.

Zack pulled away and rushed over to the bed, his face alight with joy and disbelief. Tears poured anew down his cheeks. "H-he's alive."

Sephiroth stood in the doorway, watching silently as the nurses and doctors began to murmur and bustle. How he hated places like these. Sterile white walls. Gleaming metal. Antiseptic. The very sight of lab coats and needles were enough to send him reeling, at least, inside his mind. His face betrayed none of his inner conflict and discomfort.

He wanted to be the one kneeling beside Cloud's bed, holding his hand and crying with relief. But, because of Hojo and ShinRa, he was expected to hold himself to a higher level of restraint and discipline. There was to be no obvious signs of weakness or fear. Only an observant man or woman would be able to sense the swirl of disorder that consumed his mind. Fear, so much fear. He wanted to leave this place that brought to the surface so many ill memories but he could not bring himself to walk away from the little blond.

They say love conquers all, even fear and turmoil, but this sensation he felt could not possibly be that strong. Affection, perhaps, yes, that was it. He cared deeply for the boy who made him feel human with his presence. The thought of losing that last grip on humanity was enough to send shivers through his spine. So, he stood there, blank faced and lost in thought.

Only the faint sound of a fragile voice broke his lull.

"Mmmm…'M alive. S-stop sayin' 'm dead, Z-zaack."

Sephiroth's heart leapt into his throat.

Blue eyes slowly cracked open.

He did not realize that with that simplest of gesture, the last of the ice that the General put between him and the world, melted.

000X000

**One week later:**

Cloud looked around his room and found himself feeling lonely.

After the exam went awry, only he and Aspen remained in the four-person dorm. Michal was, was he suspected, dead, and Reno continued to be missing. The two boys that remained barely spoke a word to each other since that day; albeit, they never spoke much in the first place. Aspen was quiet and aloof, always preserving in a confident yet silent manner. He was not popular, but he was not disliked. The brown-eyed boy was merely there, unremarkable but faithful to the end.

Seeing as the other boy was sleeping, Cloud decided that it was safe to take out his memory box. Opening the top, he was greeted with familiar images. Since arriving in Midgar, he had added a few things to his collection. Among the precious items of his childhood were an abridged copy of the play LOVELESS, a keychain that resembled a miniature Buster sword, a cheesy crayon drawing of a chocobo signed 'Zack Fair' at the top and a photograph of all the First Class standing together (courtesy of Zack on the behalf of "a friend").

He reached out and touched the glossy picture. Sephiroth, Genesis, Angeal and Zack were all together, off to one side. The other eleven First's were clearly outshone by their superiors; but if the way they smiled and their eyes gleamed with amusement was anything to go by, they did not care. SOLDIERS were a close bunch for the most part. The higher up in rank, the closer they seemed to become. The fifteen special SOLDIERS in the photograph each had a story to tell and a heart full of respect and adoration for their fellow officers. They did not seem bothered in the least by the foursome stealing the spotlight, because, perhaps, they hoped that one day they would have their chance to have that kind of friendship as well.

It was plain as day, the dynamic between the four highest-ranking SOLDIERS.

Sephiroth was the collected and calculating leader, distant and unreachable. Genesis was all flamboyance and show, hostile at times but also passionate about his dreams. Angeal was the balance of power between these two, his even temperament and speeches of honor and dreams overshadowed by the obvious affection he held for his two friends. Then there was Zack. Brightly grinning and full of life, the energetic and youthful First held a special place in each of their hearts, even if two of those three people denied such.

Cloud chuckled softly, trying to ease the pain he felt in his chest and prickling at the corners of his eyes. He sniffed, wiping away unshed tears and closing the memory box. Today he was getting his letter of acceptance or rejection. Everyone assured him that he did well and that the mission in the slums going south was not his fault. Zack told him that there was no way that he would not become a SOLDIER. So why did he already feel like a failure?

'_I couldn't keep my team safe.' _The blond thought with remorse,'_Michal died. If I had not gotten separated, maybe I could have saved him.' _Or maybe you could have died yourself, was a thought he refused to let enter his mind. He failed. He did not deserve to be a SOLDIER. He was no hero. Curling up on his bunk, Cloud shut his eyes, his memory box clutched to his chest as he attempted to find sleep.

000X000

It was late at night when Cloud woke up and slipped into the darkened hallway. All around him, people were in their rooms, sleeping, blissfully unaware of his presence. Cradling an unopened letter, the blond made his way through the silent building, his steps never faltering as he went outside. Uncertainty flooded his chest. A small part of him wanted to rip open the letter right-the-and-there, but for the most part, he did not want to be alone.

He was sick of feeling alone.

Uncaring of the consequences, Cloud sought out the main building. He knew where Zack's room was, and his mentor, Angeal, would not be there since he was away on a mission. All he had to do was make it a few dozen flights of stairs without getting caught…and realizing this, Cloud paused. One of the reasons he did not go through the hallways that connected the barracks to the main building was because it was monitored heavily. What made him think that going through a side door would make a difference?

A gust of wind tugged at his unkempt hair, worsening the already wild spikes.

The blond sighed and lowered his gaze. There would only be trouble if he was caught sneaking out of the barracks after hours, and if the letter said yes, well, he could say goodbye to SOLDIER. Stepping backwards, he did not notice the figure behind him until his shoulders touched their chest.

"Yo, Blondie, didja miss me?"

Filled with surprise, Cloud whipped around to be eye-to-eye with the crimson-haired cadet. Standing there, wearing a smirk and a pair of tinted goggles around his neck, was Reno.

"Y-you're alive!" Cloud whispered.

"Duh, I'm alive. Do I look like a ghost or somthin', yo?" The redhead shifted is weight to one hip and crossed his arms—those emerald eyes of his gleaming with mischief.

"Where were you?"

Reno snorted and flashed a grin,"Taking a test, yo."

"But…?"

"Yer a smart kid, Blondie." Reno drawled,"Yah tell me where I've been for a week."

Cloud took a step back and his eyes widened when he got a good look at what the ex-cadet was wearing. "You've been recruited by the Turks."

"Bingo, Blondie." He winked,"And they say dreams don't come true if yer a slum bred rate like myself." Reno threw back his head and laughed, before giving Cloud a sly smirk,"So here's the million gil question, yo. What are yah doin' out here after curfew, Blondie?"

Shyly, Cloud brought up the unopened envelope for Reno to see,"I didn't want to open this alone."

Reno 'tsked' before asking,"Aint out other two roomies willin' to give yah a pat on the back or somethin'?"

Grief fell into Cloud's gut like a lead ballon,"Reno. After you left, stuff happened. It's only me and Aspen left in our room and he hasn't said a word to me all week."

"What 'appened to Mich?"

"He's dead, Reno."

"Awe, heck, Blondie. You and him weren't the best of buds but…it couldn't of been easy on yah seeing as yah got a soft spot in yer heart for everybody."

The two teens fell silent.

Reno eventually reached forwards and placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder,"Yah need to go to bed, kid. I'll fetch Fair in the mornin' and we can open that letter together, yo."

"But you're a Turk now…"

The redhead snorted,"I may be a Turk but yer still my buddy. Go to sleep, Cloud."

"You said my name…"

"Pffft, nu-uh. Get outta here, Blondie." Reno chided, giving Cloud a friendly smack upside the head.

Feeling somewhat lighter, Cloud headed back into the barracks knowing that his missing friend was alive and well.

000X000

Morning could not have come soon enough.

With letter yet again in hand, Cloud raced through the main building, avoiding SOLDIERS and shouting apologies over his shoulder. He slipped once or twice, never quite falling over, before at last he managed to leap into the elevator. Panting, he managed a weak smile. This was the best he felt in days and maybe, just maybe, it was about to get a little better.

Enthralled with the scrap of paper in his hands, Cloud neglected to notice his companion in the elevator. Only when said companion cleared his throat did the blond look over. His mouth opened a bit and then it shut. Then a true smile broke onto his features.

"Hello again," he offered.

Sephiroth, whom was attempting to remain calm and aloof, could not contain his joy of seeing Cloud conscious and well. "Hello to you as well, Private Strife."

A frown appeared on that once shining face.

"Not this again, Sephiroth." Cloud really was the only one who never said his name without hesitation,"I thought we were friends. I know we have not talked much in the past six months but sheesh, one would think that after spending nearly ten years of waiting on someone to show up…" The blond was cut off when Sephiroth gathered him up in his arms.

"We are friends, Cloud. I just…am unsure how to approach this… relationship of ours." He admitted, lowered the Private back onto his own feet.

A small laugh escaped Cloud's lips,"Be yourself, Sephiroth, do what you feel is right. Friends trust other friends not to judge them for their insecurities." He paused,"And I don't care that you're the General of ShinRa, I knew you before the war and how I saw you then is how I see you now."

The elevator 'dinged' and Cloud shook his head,"Well, looks like this is my stop."

"Where are you headed?"

"To Zack's place. I…I don't want to be alone when I open this…" He held up the letter.

Sephiroth frowned,"Why?"

"It…it doesn't feel right." Cloud confessed before adding,"I wouldn't object to speaking with you again…as friends, Sephiroth. That is, if I made it into SOLDIER. I understand that if I didn't that you would likely not wish to…" He stopped talking when he noticed Sephiroth downright dark expression. "Did I say something wrong?"

"You doubt that you made it into SOLDIER?" Did Sephiroth actually sound hurt by the idea? The General drew a little closer, even going as far as to follow Cloud out of the elevator.

"Well, I did screw up on the mission rather badly…" Cloud turned away and moved towards Zack's room.

"You proved how resilient and resourceful you are, Cloud. Few could have held their own in a situation like that." Sephiroth whispered, reminding the blond of the awkward teenager he met back in Nibelheim.

Silence fell between them as the pair walked down the hall. Why Sephiroth continued to follow him was anyone's guess. When Cloud reached the door and went to knock, he hardly expected the General to grab his wrist. He froze. What was going on?

"You should never doubt yourself like that, Cloud," The silver-haired swordsman murmured,"No hero should doubt himself when he achieves something great."

"I'm not a hero…" There was a brokenness in the tone that even Cloud did not expect.

"You are my hero." Sephiroth replied.

Cloud looked over his shoulder at the silver General and smiled.

"I am honored to have you as a friend."

Then, the door swung open the tension of the moment shattered.

"Heyah, you both planning on standing out there for the rest of the afternoon?" Zack asked, crossing his arms. "Oh, and Cloud, I believe this belongs to you," he turned, reached somewhere out of the line of sight and pulled Reno around to stand next to him. The redhead waved.

"So, yah goin' to open the letter or not, Blondie?"

As Sephiroth and Cloud entered the room, a low baritone answered the Turk's question.

"No need. I know what it says."

Everyone turned to face Sephiroth.

He looked cold and grim, his entire demeanor was deathly serious. Then, after looking every individual in the room in the eye, the tiniest of smiles quirked onto his lips.

"Welcome to SOLDIER, Third Class, Cloud Strife."

As the room erupted in cheers, Sephiroth stepped back and watched the boisterous exchange between the three friends. It was written on his face what he was thinking.

Cloud had made it into SOLDIER. He dreamed to make everyone proud, and prove that he was the hero that Sephiroth claimed him as being. The future is never set in stone, but the cards were falling into place. To see if the little hero of the Battle of Nibelheim fulfilled his dreams, there was only one thing left to do.

Wait.

**A/N: (And thus the plot thickens… Review, my pretties, please? It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.)**


	4. Burning alive

**A/N: ** Alright, this chapter is short but important. And guess what, I know for a fact that the next chapter will be the last. Enjoy this twisty-curvy, angsty and fluffy update.

**Any comments, reviews and the like are loved. I thrive off feedback.**

**Disclaimer: **This was for fun, not for profit. I own nothing FF7 related….blah blah blah. To quote another writer: "These are not my characters, I'm just abusing them".

**Summary:** Everyone knows that Sephiroth was the hero of the War with Wutai. What happens when the first battle occurs suddenly in the sleepy town of Nibelheim and he's the only SOLDIER there? And how does a little blond boy play a part? AU. Young!Seph & Young!Cloud

**Words: **4, 548 (Short, I know)

**Rating: **T (mild gore, violence, and m/m flirty-fluffiness)

**The Battle of Nibelheim**

**By Catsitta**

**Part four: **Burning alive

**Seven months later: Midgar**

Running.

He hated running. He hated the fact that he was helpless to stop the chaos that surrounded him.

Burning.

Everything was burning. Fire reached high up into the sky, smoke billowing into an ominous, scalding storm cloud.

No matter how fast he ran. No matter how hard he tried. It was not enough. Never enough. He was choking on the very air that once tasted sweet, cleansed by the bitter cold of winter. His eyes stung and watered, practically blinding him. Sightless. Helpless. Unable to breathe. Unable to run. Unable to fight.

Cloud collapsed onto his knees and struggled to remain conscious. If he died here and now, then who would save the day? Who would be the hero? Pushing himself back onto un-stable legs, his body trembling violently from the effort, the blond SOLDIER shifted through the all-consuming blaze, ignoring the pain as the fire ate at unprotected flesh.

He had to fight. He had to stay strong. But the fire was too much. All around him were flames, white-hot and furiously rendering all it touched to ash. So many lives lost. Victims trapped in their homes—unenhanced bodies stripped bare by a hungry inferno, burnt alive or smothered by smoke. Cloud's sight was already blurred, but when everything plunged into darkness, he knew that it was lost.

Screams of terror and agony followed him into the bliss of oblivion.

000X000

Zack Fair watched powerlessly as his little, spiky-haired friend writhe in agony when his nightmare came to its climax. Cloud's young body twisted in the sheets, his muscles twitching and straining with every horror. Sweat beaded on the blond's brow and fell in little rivulet's down his face, neck and shoulders. At some point, Cloud managed to squirm his way free of the T-shirt he often wore to bed, perhaps subconsciously attempting to escape the scalding heat that existed only in his mind. The boy looked so…helpless. So fragile and tender with youth, it was agonizing to witness such a creature in the throes of inescapable pain.

Gently, the raven-haired SOLDIER placed a hand on a sweat-slick shoulder and gave the blond a shake. He could not watch this anymore, even if he was told not to disturb the boy's sleep unless the issue was a matter of life or death. Cloud should not have to suffer like this. Zack fought back tears as he continued to urge his friend to join the realm of the awake and living.

Cloud, apparently, was not ready.

Blue-eyes snapped open, bright with mako shine, and a blood-curdling scream erupted from his chest. Panic possessed a strong hold over the blond's features, making the boy quiver and pale. Next thing he knew, Cloud was retching off the side of the bed, emptying the scant contents of his stomach into the carefully positioned waste bin beside his bed. This was hardly the first time such had happened.

The young SOLDIER did not seem to calm down, even after coughing up what remained of his stomach acid. With a whimper, Cloud shivered and went limp. Crying did a body good sometimes, so Zack watched quietly as the blond sobbed into the tangled sheets, pouring all his anxieties and fears into the tears he shed. An hour later, the muffled sounds of crying were no more. Cloud sniffed and sat up weakly on the queen-sized bed.

It belonged to Zack, but the First refused to let the Third sleep alone anymore, not after what happened…

Being a SOLDIER is never easy and never pretty. People die and sometimes you are the one who snuffed out their life. But other times, you walk among the civilians and see the death in their eyes. It cut into the heart like a blade to patrol under the Plate in the slums. So many people were sick with poverty and abuse, their conditions a result of other men's greed and apathy. Some would say what they suffered was not an illness, and while it is not something that can be treated with medicines, it does weaken and kill. Corruption flourishes and the weak must endure. Society can be seen slowly crumbling yet the powerful ignore the plight of those they see as lesser than themselves.

Cloud grew up in a town so small that he never saw true nature of men when they sink their claws into power and status. Ignorance is bliss, and innocence is stained grey as experience opens the eyes to the injustices of the world. But what the blond witnessed did more than darken his child-like purity of heart and mind—it shattered everything that he once believed into shards of sugar-coated glass. The scene that met them little less than two weeks ago revolted even Zack and he was a First Class, one who had seen his share of bloodbaths and nightmares.

It was a mission gone awry. There was nothing they could have said or done to change a thing, but the guilt still remained, sharp and piercing.

_Upon arriving in a little mountain village, one none too far from Nibelheim, the two SOLDIERS and their team witnessed an awful sight. Bodies littered the streets, eyes wide and glassy, blood pooling beneath their lifeless forms. Some were riddled with bullets, others were maimed with blades. There was even one little girl of perhaps eleven or twelve whose entire face was disfigured by the corrosive nature of acid. _

_The team carefully moved throughout the scene, each wary and alert. This slaughter was fresh and meant that the terrorists (as they came to assume as they trekked through the village) could potentially be nearby. _

_Cloud clutched his sword tightly and stayed close to Zack. The First trembled with rage and his trademark smile had long since become a tense line. It was appalling to see what humans were capable of doing to their own in cold blood. What was the purpose of this? The message? So far, he saw none. Realizing that they had a duty to any survivors, the SOLDIER instructed his team to check every house, hut and shed. If someone could hide in it, behind it, under it, beside it, then they were to investigate. _

_Slowly, the search for the unlikely began._

_An hour passed before Zack noticed his little, blond, Third Class shadow. The boy was incredibly pale and his blue eyes damp. He had a near death grip on the wolf's tooth strung around his neck and he kept chanting a little mantra about 'Fenrir' giving him strength. "Cloud?"_

_Said addressed Third fell silent and looked up, "Zack."_

"_Hey buddy, I know it's hard to stomach but things aren't always this bad."_

_Cloud was silent for a while before he answered,"Does it make me a bad SOLDIER to hate the thought of war or killing another human being?"_

"_What? No, Spike, no, it doesn't! True, it makes things harder when you have to fight but…it also means you are human. Very few people are born with the ability to kill another of his kind in cold blood or even desperation. Many SOLDIERs will tell you that they never forgive themselves for having to take a life, and some still have guilt and nightmares… Veterans, even, sometimes regret each drop of blood that stains their name. But they still fight because the death of one could save a thousand others."_

_The blond fell silent again for a time before he let out a shuddering sigh,"C'mon, let's hurry so we can get out of here." _

_That was when the first explosion rocked the village. A whistle, a crash, a flash of light and then everything disappeared into flames. Screams. Pain. Desperation. The cries of SOLDIERs intermingled with the roar of the fire._

_Zack clutched Cloud to his chest and stood back from the collapsed entryway. Above them, the roof was threatening to come crashing down as the support beams were eaten away. Smoke filled the air and made it hard to breath, so the pair dropped close to the floor and sucked in deep breaths of clean oxygen. The little reservoir would not last long at the rate the fire burned, so the two SOLDIERs leapt to their feet, tugging the scarf of their uniform up around their noses, before rushing towards the back wall._

_Cloud hit the wall first but his moderate, Third Class strength was not nearly enough to break through. Even when Zack crashed into the barrier, he made little progress. He stumbled backwards and stared with dismay at the single crack that displayed their effort. The pair locked eyes and nodded. Once again, they threw their weight against the wall…_

_It could have been seconds, minutes or hours later when at last the wall gave way. Zack had long since resorted to assaulting the obstacle with his sword, and that gave him just enough of an advantage to burst through. He turned around to see if Cloud was following and paled. The blond SOLDIER rushed towards escape, but just before he could hurl himself to freedom, the building shuddered and collapsed._

"_CLOUD!" His scream piercing the air._

"_Leave him," a veteran Second ordered,"The life of a Third is not worth risking that of a First. I'm sorry, Fair, but I must insist." Zack spun around and found himself standing before a significantly smaller team than he entered with. All that remained was one Second and a handful of Thirds. The cadets that were with them were nowhere to be found nor could he see the other Second. _

"_I can't!" Zack shouted before a cough rattled his body._

"_You've already breathed in too much smoke…and we have to get out of here before we all burn alive." The Second retorted before grabbing the First's wrist._

"_NO!" He thrashed against the man's grip resulting in some Third's rushing over to restrain him. Soon, they were heading towards the helicopter. Zack screamed and writhed and struggled the whole way and only calmed down when they reached Midgar. But it was because he was limp with grief and had long since shed all his tears. "Cloud…"_

_In the depth of mourning, he locked himself in his room for a week straight afterwards. His mentor, Angeal, did all he could to comfort the raven-haired SOLDIER, but he failed miserably. After a while, he merely slipped food beneath the door and ordered his student to eat. Three days into the week, Zack managed to swallow a few bites and tall glass of water, but he still felt sick with grief. _

_At week's end, he finally unlocked the door and joined the world again, but everything was in shades of gray. He could not bring himself to bounce or smile or harass his superior officers. In fact, he avoided Sephiroth entirely. The silver-haired General and Cloud were practically the best of friends, and only when the blond was around did he seem happy. But, he could not spend the rest of his life away from Sephiroth, so one day, he found himself in his office, a mission report in hand. _

"_General…" He murmured, keeping his eyes downcast._

_Sephiroth said nothing so Zack looked up. The man was toying with a silver bracelet, the kind one slotted materia in…and it looked exactly like the one Cloud wore practically 24/7! _

"_He gave this to me, you know." The silver General said after a time,"I often wonder how he would have reacted if I had shown it to him…after all these years, I still have a keepsake from a child. A child that grew into an impressive SOLDIER. A SOLDIER that would have come home to a surprise."_

_Zack opened his mouth to reply but Sephiroth thrust an envelope into his hands. It was addressed to Cloud. Seeing his General nod, the First tore the letter open and read the words inside. Tears filled his eyes. "A promotion…" It had been six months since Cloud made SOLDIER and it was just a month shy of his seventeenth birthday. The kid had earned it, but…_

_The pair fell into silence, their sorrows heavy in the air. _

_Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing a certain crimson-haired Turk. _

"_R-reno?" Zack blinked with surprise at the teen's smirk._

"_Yo Fair, I think this belongs to yah and the General." Said mentioned Turk replied before tugging something into view…wait, not something, someone! Blue eyes and tangled, blond spikes caught his attention. _

"_CLOUD!" The First shouted and the boy in the doorway gave a weak smile._

"_Hey Zack…Sephiroth… It's been a while… If you'll excuse me, I think I'll pass out now." Cloud murmured with a tremble in his voice. Reno caught the Third around the waist and kept him from hitting the ground._

"_I picked the kid up on the outskirts of Midgar. He's really weak, yo, and has a fever, but he said he had to see yah before he went to the hospital."_

"_How? We thought he was dead!" Zack cried._

_Reno shrugged,"The kid's got moxy, I'll just say that much."_

Moxy. Zack was not sure what it meant but it did not matter in the end. It had been almost a month since that fateful day Cloud came home and the blond had spoken so little. It was only in the past few days that the teen returned to his duties, albeit reluctantly. Yet the nightmares were far from gone. He could see the shadows in the blond's gaze as he went through the motions. It scared him. Never before did the First ever believe he would see his friend broken.

"You okay now, Cloud?" he murmured, rubbing the teen's back.

"Yeah…I guess." Cloud's voice was but a whisper.

"C'mon. Get cleaned up. Seph's got a surprise for you now that you're feeling better."

The words were strained and both knew that the other was pretending for the sake of each other's sanity. There was too much pain to forget and sometimes, the only thing they could do to cope was ignore the problem that blazed before them.

"Okay…" And with that, Cloud crawled off the bed and made his way to the bathroom, snagging his uniform on the way there.

000X000

Sephiroth tapped impatiently on his desk, eyes flicking from the computer screen before him and the door. He told Zack to bring Cloud to his office at o' eight hundred hours. It was a good half hour past that. The little blond was always punctual unless the puppy was involved. Zack never did seem to learn the importance of promptness despite his rise through the ranks.

But Cloud…brave, brilliant Cloud. He was a model SOLDIER, well, that was until that damn mission in the mountains. Something shook the blond to the core and left the teen fragile. Perhaps it was being trapped in a burning building, or seeing the victims of a pointless slaughter that did it. Or was it being left behind and having to fight his way back home. He was an amazing boy, resilient and resourceful, but this latest incident damped his prideful glow.

Hopefully, this news would cheer him up. After spending his seventeenth birthday locked in Zack's room, there was a need for celebration…a need to put the light back into those blue eyes.

Suddenly, his office door flew open and Zack marched in. It was obvious he was trying hard to fall back into the swing of things and a smile was forced onto the raven-haired SOLDIER's lips. But the feeling was wrong, and even his optimism seemed to be fleeting in these darker days.

"Hello Zackary…Cloud." Sephiroth rose from his desk and rounded to the front.

Cloud attempted to salute, but his friend stopped him, grabbing the teen's wrist and pulling it back down to his side.

"Heya, Seph. Here's Spike, all squeaky-clean and ready for action."

Sephiroth chuckled softly,"Zackary, you are dismissed."

"B-but…Seph!" whined Zack before he employed the infamous puppy pout of doom. To which, Cloud responded by shoving the First out the door and practically slamming it in his face to keep him from rushing back inside.

The smallest of mischievous smiles curled on Cloud's lips. Perhaps things were improving.

Clearing his throat, Sephiroth regained the Third's attention. Cloud looked up at the General and sighed,"What do you need, Sephiroth? Zack said something about a surprise…"

"Yes. This is for you." The silver-haired warrior pulled the tattered envelope from his leather jacket and held it out for Cloud to take. Quirking his brows, the little blond reached out and gingerly took the letter. His expression seemed to inquire as to why the letter was already open, but he fished out the paper inside nonetheless. His eyes flicked from line to line, widening the closer he came to the bottom. After a long moment of hesitation and silence, Cloud looked up, his eyes watering with unshed tears.

"This can't be real…" He murmured.

"Oh, but it is." Sephiroth replied with a fond smile,"Welcome to Second Class, Cloud Strife. You're moving up in the world."

"But the mission…?"

"This promotion was valid prior to your last mission. It was supposed to be given to you upon your return, but as circumstance would have it…"

He wondered for a moment if Cloud was going to cry…Then, the blond rushed forwards and wrapped both arms around his waist, hugging the General like a favored stuffed animal. It was odd how Sephiroth felt comfortable allowing him to do so…he felt no uneasiness with the contact, only a surge of affection. It had hurt so much when the blond was reported as MIA. He was reluctant to pronounce the SOLDIER dead but he was almost forced to do so just as the blond reappeared.

"You are happy then?" Sephiroth asked softly, stroking the blond spikes with familiarity. During Cloud first six months as a SOLDIER, he spent a great deal of time observing the teen and spoke with him in private as much as convention would allow. During these conversations, sometimes, old memories would surface and the General found himself comforting the blond in any way he could. Touch always seemed to work the best…

Cloud did not say anything; he merely snuggled against his chest for a while, taking in deep, reassuring breaths. "Cloud?"

"Hn?" The blond peered up at him, his face the picture of innocence.

Sephiroth's heart skipped a beat and the words he was to say caught in his throat. Perfection. Cloud had to be the definition of perfection. Like a little angel come to save him from himself. The silver General could not help it. His actions were impulsive. But the next thing either of them knew, their lips were touching.

000X000

Burning. He was burning alive again. But this burning was different. The fire was internal and could not be escaped. It caught him in its fury and stole away his breath. It was a blazing inferno of emotion…of feeling the moment their lips brushed together.

Cloud gasped when Sephiroth drew away. The silver General flushed with embarrassment, obviously interpreting his reaction as a form of rejection. Unsure exactly what he was feeling, just knowing that it could not be wrong because by Gaia it felt too right, Cloud struggled to hang onto the sensation. He did not want to go back to the pain and darkness. He was losing himself in the shadows of the past. The nightmares were consuming him. Destroying him. He could not let go of the one thing that brought him to the edge of reality yet again.

So, he grabbed the warrior's pauldrons and pulled himself up to Sephiroth's height, crushing his lips to the General's in one swift motion. Again, the fire burned. It was terrifying yet alluring. He wanted to get away as fast as possible and never let go again. Cloud did not know when he wrapped his legs around Sephiroth's waist, but by the time the kiss broke, leaving them both panting, he was clinging to the General with all his might.

Mako green eyes were hooded with pleasure…and, desire? Yes. The smoky gleam that reflected into those irises could not be anything other than desire. Sephiroth wanted him. But…what did that entail? Cloud caught his breath and stared at the silver General for a long while, suddenly uncertain of his actions and their consequences.

"Sephiroth…" He began, noting, with embarrassment, the husky quality of his voice. Cloud flushed with color when he remembered Zack teasing him about his 'phone sex' voice after a day of strenuous exercise. Only, he had not run until his legs felt like jelly and his throat was raw. He merely kissed Sephiroth… Then again, could anyone _merely_ kiss the great General of ShinRa? Damn it, why did he feel cheap all of the sudden, like a girl at the Honeybee? Slowly, he tried to disentangle himself from the larger man, but apparently, Sephiroth had other plans.

"Cloud." There was a smirk in the silver warrior's voice as his hands dropped from where they were buried in his hair to Cloud's ass. The blond let out a squeak of surprise and felt himself deepen in color as the General held him there, gazing into his eyes an almost poetic, lovingly fashion. Sephiroth smiled and gently nipped at Cloud's lips again, teasing the blond as well as wordlessly asking for permission to kiss him again.

Remembering how alive and wonderful he felt, Cloud abandoned his embarrassment and worry for a little while longer and hummed his approval. Strong arms held him tight against Sephiroth's chest, and once again, he was burning as a moment years in the making at last came to a peak.

000X000

**Three months later; Midgar**

"So, you're moving in with Seph?" Zack asked quietly as Cloud began packing his belongings.

"Yes, of course… Why?" The Second Class SOLDIER looked up from the duffle bag he was stuffing.

"It's just…well, really fast, y'know. Have you thought about the implications and…"

"Zack, it's okay. Don't worry. I'm a big boy now; I can take care of myself." Cloud smiled. He had been doing a lot of smiling since being promoted, more than likely because that was also the day he and Sephiroth started dating… If you could call what they were doing dating.

There were no little gifts of candies or flowers, or candle lit dinners. Just, longer talks in Sephiroth's office, a shared lunch on occasion and sparring. Gaia, the sparring! It was almost sad how hard Cloud was trying to beat the silver General, only to have the man fling him effortlessly across the room, the action chased by one taunt or another. Most days the blond would limp home from a day of training, bruised but happy.

"I know, but you're my little chocobo!" Zack whined.

"Hehe. And your chocobo is leaving the nest. I mean, for Gaia's sake, I am seventeen and a SOLDIER Second Class. You don't have to worry. Sephiroth makes me happy and I make him happy. Isn't it enough that your two best friends have found someone to love?"

"I-I guess… ever since Angeal…" His voice had dropped to a whisper.

"I understand, Zack. Your mentor was important to you, but he and Genesis were important to Sephiroth too. Yet, he's moving on with his life knowing that he can't bring them back home… I know you don't want to hear this, but, appreciate what you have and don't worry about what you've lost. The only thing you can do in life is move forwards. I mean, you've got friends who care about you. A girlfriend who loves you to death. A roof over your head, shoes on your feet and food in your belly. I mean, things aren't that bad."

Zack sighed,"You're the subordinate officer here, why are you giving me advice?"

"Well sor-ry, Lieutenant Fair. Just because your second-in-command now doesn't mean that I can't smack some good ol' country boy sense into yah!" Cloud drawled before looping an arm around the raven-haired man's shoulders. "So. Do I get a hug or not?"

Blue eyes met that of aquamarine.

"Of course you do!" Zack shouted, startling Cloud when the First leapt on him and proceeded to squeeze the daylights out of him.

"Too much! Too much! Can't breathe." The blond groaned.

"Serves you right for talking back, chocobo head." Zack laughed before releasing his captive.

They smiled at each other. For just a moment, the world looked a little brighter.

000X000

Zack helped Cloud carry his belongings up to Sephiroth's room. The First had a little bounce to his step and was chattering away mindlessly, pointing out random things with child-like wonder. Cloud was basically ignoring him when he heard him ask,"So, you and Seph done it yet?"

The blond froze in his steps and gave his friend a bug-eyed look,"What?"

"Y'know, have you guys had sex?"

"No."

"Have you two fooled around?"

"Ah, no."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"So, you're a virgin then?"

"ZACK!" By this point, Cloud was completely red and glaring daggers at the raven-haired SOLDIER. "Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Asking inappropriate questions!"

They fell into a lull of silence for a while.

"So, is that a yes?"

"ZACK!"

_"Zackary."_

The pair looked up when they heard a silky baritone voice. Sephiroth stood leaning against the doorframe of his apartment, one silver brow arched, arms crossed. "Would you happen to be harassing one of my Second's?"

"Aw, stop with the act, Seph, call him your boyfriend already. It's painful to hear you be all General-ly when we're in private." Zack scolded, giving the General a bit of a pout.

"Zack, you are embarrassing me…" Cloud complained, but was promptly ignored.

"How I address my lover is my business, Zackary."

"Zack. Seriously, how many times do we have to go over this… Call. Me. Zack."

"Hello, are either of you listening?"

When the banter between the two First's continued, Cloud rolled his eyes, dropped his duffle bag, and grabbed Sephiroth by the lapels of his jacket. Two seconds later their lips connected and Zack finally shut up. Well, mostly. The raven-haired's man did squeak with complaint when the General deepened the kiss and to touch and squeeze more intimate areas.

Apparently deciding he had nothing further left to say, Zack turned on his heel, dropped what he was carrying for Cloud, and walked away.

"I think we scarred him for life," Cloud murmured when their kiss broke.

"His fault for watching." Sephiroth replied with a smirk.

"True… but hey, will you help me get my stuff inside?"

The released each other and gathered Cloud's belongings.

As the door shut behind them and they shared a smile, everything bad that happened in their lives started to fade away into memory. A brush of the shoulder, a touch of the lips, little did they know that this could not last forever. As their fingers entwine and they walk hand in hand, time seems to grow still for a moment as they are lost in this strange thing called love. They both wondered if the joy would dissipate and the feelings lost, leaving them bitter and cold. But for now the future looked bright and there remained but one thing to do.

Wait.

**A/N: ( Review my pretties! Also, I'm working on a side story detailing Cloud's journey back home. I did not include it here because it just did not fit the flow of the storyline all that well… So keep an eye out for 'Burning Alive'. Hehe, one more chappie to go!)**


	5. Destiny of a one winged angel

**A/N: ** **((If anyone would like to help me proofread/beta/improve this story, or would know someone who would be able to help me pretty this up, please PM me. Thanks bunches!))**

This is the shortest and last installment of this story. I'm going to say right now that there is character death! But as a sucker for a happy ending, you will find out that things are hopeful even when it looks like this is turning into a tragedy.

I loved writing this story. I really did. From the happy moments to the sad ones, I've enjoyed the ride. I do hope that the ending does not disappoint. It was how I envisioned it be, as strange as that may sound.

At first, I had my doubts about expending this even into a second part, much less five. But as Cloud and Sephiroth grew closer and their lives more entwined, things began to look clearer. The styling of this story is different, but I think the format works well. It allows for the reader to fill in all the empty pieces. I'm not sure why, but I've always enjoyed an open-ended tale that left things to the imagination. Every struggle, every victory, every moment of sorrow can be read between the lines.

I'm thinking of writing a couple side story's to this, alongside the already planned 'Burning Alive' which details Cloud's journey back home after being trapped in the fire. If there are any other scenes that you would like me to clarify or add, make sure to message me. I'm always looking for new ideas and sometimes a thousand word oneshot can inspire other things.

Reviews are lovely as are PM's.

**Any comments, reviews and the like are loved. I thrive off feedback.**

**Disclaimer: **This was for fun, not for profit. I own nothing FF7 related….blah blah blah. To quote another writer: "These are not my characters, I'm just abusing them".

**Summary:** Everyone knows that Sephiroth was the hero of the War with Wutai. What happens when the first battle occurs suddenly in the sleepy town of Nibelheim and he's the only SOLDIER there? And how does a little blond boy play a part? AU. Young!Seph & Young!Cloud

**Words: **2,888 (I know, tiny chapter. The third or fourth shortest thing I've ever written, actually.)

**Rating: **T (Character death)

**The Battle of Nibelheim**

**By Catsitta**

**Part Five:** Destiny of a One-winged Angel

**Six months later;; Nibelheim Reactor**

Perilous blue eyes met those of ice-cold green.

"Why?" It was the only question Cloud thought to ask, his mind reeling with Sephiroth's betrayal. He gave up on crying a long time ago. All his tears had fallen through every moment of sorrow and grief. His beautiful hero, friend and lover stood before him like a glacier, those brilliant mako eyes practically gray. Where was the man he had fallen in love with? Where was the uncertain boy he met in Nibelheim all those years ago?

Falling to his knees, the blond SOLDIER once again pleaded for an answer, desperate for reason.

"Why?"

Sephiroth, stared down at him, Masamune poised for a final strike. Cloud shut his eyes, anticipating the end. After all they had been through, his silver-haired angel was going to take his life. All because some _thing _claimed to be Sephiroth's mother. All because Hojo lied to his son. All because of ShinRa. And there was nothing he could do, nor that he wished to do. If his lover had truly lost his mind, then he refused to live in a world without him. He would rather die than watch the world collapse around him.

"Humans hurt Mother." He heard Sephiroth murmur, yet steel did not pass through his chest and stain the metal grating beneath them in blood. Cloud took in a ragged breath. If they had never come on this mission to Nibelheim, then his lover would be himself. He would not be raving like a loon about Jenova or the Cetra, and how he wanted to exterminate the human race to please Mother. "They used her body for wicked purpose, disturbed her sleep. She wants revenge on this Planet. She wishes it clean of the filth that taints it…Then, we can sail into the heavens, together, Mother and I."

Cloud let out a shuddering sigh as the prone bodies of Zack and Tifa flashed into his mind. They were hurt but not dead, that much could not be said for the townspeople Sephiroth left to burn. Oh how he hated fire. It scared him and the very sight of a lit cigarette sent chills down his spine. He knew what it was like to be trapped inside a building with no escape and abandoned. It was only by luck and a gift from an old friend that he survived.

Slowly, he curled his fingers around the wolf's tooth around his neck. Fenrir was with him. He always would be, even in death. Hopefully Kol had led his pack to safety, the young Nibel Wolf was an ambitious creature and immensely loyal to his human friend. Should they search for Cloud, the fire would surely send them into the lifestream.

"You do not beg for your life, human." Sephiroth's grating tone made Cloud open his eyes again. "Why?"

"Because, Sephiroth, I have no fear of death. What I fear is a world without my dearest friend and lover." Somehow, a smile quirked onto his lips,"Hopefully, when you are sailing among the stars, you will remember me." His hand fell from the wolf's tooth onto the silver bracelet around his left wrist. Two materia were slotted in the bangle. A Barrier and a Cure. "It made me so happy when you showed me that you kept the twin to this one. A gift from a child you barely knew. A child who grew up to be a SOLDIER…A SOLDIER they said would rival you one day in battle. First Class Cloud Strife…that has quite the ring to it, now doesn't it? Is it true that after this mission you were going to recommend me for promotion?"

Soft blue eyes locked with those of swirling green.

There was something remaining of the man he knew beneath the madness.

"I need no memories of this…Planet." Sephiroth sneered but there was hesitation in his voice.

"That's okay." Cloud told him,"I'll always remember you. And I won't remember you because of the destruction you wrought at Jenova's command, but rather because I love you. Gaia, I can't say that enough these days. I did not realize it then, but I think I was in love with you from the day we first met. That's why no one else sparked my interest, because my eyes only saw you."

Masamune inched closer, the point actually pressing against his chest.

"No one can love a monster…" The silver General spoke softly.

Cloud smiled up at his lover, it was a sad one, full of hurt, but a smile nonetheless.

"People only call things monsters because they do not understand," the blond told him, remembering the day they met as if it were yestersay,"They fear things they do not understand. And it takes a lot more bravery to understand something than to hurt it. Sephiroth, you're no more a monster than Fenrir and his pack, or myself or Zack. Open your eyes and see the truth. Do not be afraid. I love you. If you were truly a monster, then I could not say that, but you're not. You're merely different, and that's okay."

"Mother says you're distracting me from my purpose, that you should be dead right now."

"That's okay. I'll be able to see mom and dad again…"

Masamune's tip touched the floor between Cloud's knees.

"I disagree with her. She said that I am a God and that I shall have everything I want if I destroy the Planet. But I…I do not…agree." Sephiroth's free hand rose to clutch at his temple, his mako-eyes gleaming with familiar life. He was fighting her. He was winning! Cloud rose to his feet and lifted the Buster Sword that Zack thrust upon him before falling unconscious. The First had actually fought with the General and of course, he had lost. In his anger, the blond Second had almost acted upon his instinct to stab Sephiroth in the back, killing the man and the destroying the creature he was talking to. But hesitation led to the General sensing his presence and forcing the weapon from his hands.

Now, he held the blade in his hands, hoping that the man he loved would break free of the control 'Mother' had over him.

"What do you not agree with?" Cloud asked, keeping the sword in a non-hostile position, and his eyes focused on his lover's face. It was heartbreaking to see his beautiful features distorted with pain.

"Not all humans…are bad." It was a childish phrase that caught the Second off-guard. Those beautiful eyes he adored so much were open and wide, but clear. Oh Gaia, they were clear! "She says all humans are bad, that they corrupt this Planet. But, that does not make sense. How will killing them achieve anything? I'm…I'm not human. Not Cetra. Not a monster. Not a god…" Sephiroth looked lost and confused, his eyes filled with fear. "What am I then?"

"The man I love." Cloud told him fiercely before throwing one arm about his lover's neck and kissing him. Again, he was burning, and it felt so right…so perfect… Then everything felt cold…like ice… Pain shot through his body and he broke away from his lover with a gasp. It was a small thing, the blade protruding from his stomach, and very much unexpected. Wide-eyed, he took one last look at his lover's face before all tumbled into darkness.

The gray had overcome the green yet again.

000X000

**Epilogue**

**Five years later;; Midgar**

Sephiroth stood amongst the ruins of the once great city of Midgar. Here, people thrived off the filth and the corruption for too long. Greedy, powerful, wicked men grew to be gods among the poor and hopeless, yet they were ignorant, complacent gods. The ex-General smirked at the destruction, none of which he wrought. Humans were such simple creatures. Place a fear in their minds, a danger in their midst and direct them in the right direction, and like sheep they could be guided to fulfill any purpose.

Now, nearly a year after conquering every continent, he reveled in the power that those false mortal gods thought themselves to have. Civilizations were in shambles. The mako reactors were destroyed. All that remained were the humans themselves and makeshift towns that struggled to make do without technology and weaponry.

Reduced to their roots, the population now lay before him, desperate and looking for answers. Jenova screamed in protest when he decided to play with the humans for a while longer. After all, he was immortal. There was plenty of time in the future to wipe this Planet clean. For now, he wanted assume the role that he was destined to claim.

"Sephiroth, you said there was something you wanted to tell me."

Few people remained on this Planet ever dared to speak his true name in his presence. A smile quirked on his lips as he turned towards the speaker.

"Of course, how could I forget such a thing? You see this here? I want this to be the foundation of the new world. The humans have known war for long enough. I am fair God. It is time that I give them a chance for redemption and peace. Under my rule, there will be utopia!"

"Ahem…your rule?"

The cocky tone never failed to make Sephiroth chuckle.

"Our rule, love."

"Remember your promise, Sephiroth."

"I will never forget you…it is not possible for me to do so…Cloud."

The young blond moved to stand next to him, not a day older since that fateful day in Nibelheim. His blond spikes lay in disarray; those blue eyes gleamed with wisdom as well as youth. He held himself like a SOLDIER many years wiser than he actually was. Then again, dying did that to you.

"Make sure that you don't Sephiroth. Or I'll haunt you from the lifestream until you remember."

How could his little lover be so bright and full of light after watching all the suffering that Sephiroth caused? Yet here he was, standing beside the silver-haired swordsman as if Nibelheim had never happened, the only reminder of his insubstantial nature when the light passed at a certain angle, engulfing his love in a halo of green. It was painful to recognize the fact that Cloud's death was what freed him from Jenova and forced the invader into the depths of his unconscious mind. Why could it not have been his love that save him? Why had the kiss not broken the spell?

"Oh, and Sephiroth…I'm keeping an eye on Zack and Aerith too."

"Thank you…" He was disappointed when the raven-haired First shunned him and chose to fight against his rule. But like all the others, even he fell in line; only after, however, Cloud told him that his young wife was with child. Zack stood down and the last flames of rebellion were stamped into the ground. Perhaps one day the man would realize that this world would be better to raise a child in than the previous. This would be a world free of the corruption and poverty. This world would be healthier, for Sephiroth was allowing the Planet to heal.

"You're welcome Sephiroth." The blond smiled as the cry of a Nibel Wolf pierced the air. "I have to go now." As he turned to walk away, Sephiroth watched the SOLDIER disappear and a child take his place. The shadowy form of a wolf trotted beside him, his form immersed in gold.

"Goodbye…" He whispered as his mind shifted to the two bracelets he wore and the wolf's tooth hidden underneath his jacket.

000X000

**Ten years later:**

Aerith Fair lifted the bouquet of flowers to her face and breathed in their scent one last time before kneeling before kneeling at the Buster Sword imbedded in the soil. For fifteen years this was the grave in which Cloud Strife slept, his spirit restless and wandering between reality and the Lifestream like a ghost. He was reason why Sephiroth gave humanity a second chance and as brutal as his methods were, it was a revival that no one but he could have possibly foreseen.

Before Nibelheim, the Planet cried in pain, her suffering induced by humankind's abuses and Calamity's presence. Yet now, Gaia seemed at peace again, willing to allow Sephiroth to act as her protector. True, everyone knew his ultimate desire was to build humanity to its peak, to create the perfect utopia, before obliterating everything once humans became fickle again and forgot then nature of his power. But his actions had saved the race and the Planet, whether anyone else believed it or not.

Perhaps that is why Gaia gifted her savior with the most precious gift of all. Even if the man did not know of it yet. Aerith felt a small tear crawl down her cheek. Last year, on her thirty-fifth birthday, the Planet gifted her one more child, even after an almost debilitating illness that left her infertile when she was twenty-eight. Her husband, Zack, was overjoyed to have a son at last. Even if he doted upon their four daughters, she knew that he had always hoped for a baby boy to carry on the Fair name.

It was on that day that Aerith heard Cloud's voice last. The blond had taken the shape of a small child of no more than six years. His spikes were a wild mess and the wolf at his side only proved to make the style worse with its persistent grooming. Laughter had filled the air as the boy disappeared. He left her with smile on his face, saying that he would visit again soon. Later that day, her first and only son was born.

The pale, little blond was named Cloud. Zack was even the first to whisper the name as he gazed upon their child for the first time, held close to Aerith's breast. Knowing what she did, the half-cetra agreed.

Only once did she question Gaia's decision to grant the second chance and that was when Sephiroth appeared in her church shortly after baby Cloud was born. The silver-haired man stood at the altar, gazing up at the windows above.

"Cetra…" he had spoken in slipped tones, but she could hear the underlying sorrow. "I see you still grow your flowers…in the church no less…" In every inch of available space both inside and outside the building, there were blossoms in full bloom. The people who built the city in the name of their war-like God often came to pray for those who had passed into lifestream. Others would tend the flowers, finding comfort in helping Aerith grow the gardens. And there were even some whom came to the services she held each Sunday, and listen to stories she had to share of rise and fall of the Cetra as well as humankind. By now, everyone recognized Cloud as a symbol of perseverance, sacrifice and hope.

Though no one knew that the boy's spirit was yet again among the living.

"You want to know about Cloud, don't you?" Aerith remembered asking as she approached. She still did not trust the silver-haired ex-General.

"He often speaks of you and your family to me. After he disappeared, I had to know if…"

"He did not abandon you, Sephiroth." The half-Cetra never allowed herself to view the man as a God and knew that, for some reason, he would never hurt her for merely using his given name. "His spirit finally found peace."

"So he is gone…" Sephiroth's wing, hidden until now, flared out, the ebony plumage a striking contrast to the white walls and flooring, and the brilliant colors of the garden.

"No. Never gone. At peace." Aerith told him,"Peace means many different things, after all. To some it means eternal slumber, where he at last accepts his place in the Lifestream, becoming a part of Her blood. To others, it means a second chance at life. Rebirth."

"You are not telling me something, Cetra."

"There are some things that even a god cannot know. At least, not yet."

Sephiroth looked at her for the first time since their meeting, his mako-green eyes swirling with various depths. Without another word, the man known as the one-winged angel, vanished into thin air.

Now, as she stood at Cloud's grave, Aerith came to accept her son's destiny.

Even without the memories of his first life, the boy would grow up under the watchful gaze of the man hailed as God. He would be doubly-blessed as well as cursed. Aerith wondered if Sephiroth would ever accept that Cloud would be different from the boy he met years ago, deep in the wilderness of Nibelheim. Would Cloud's rebirth bring a cycle to an end, or would it lead to the madness of the man who loved him?

At last placing the flowers where the blade met the soil, Aerith rose to her feet.

She had a family to return to. Five children and a husband needed her. Knowing that the end of one tale was just the beginning of another's journey, Aerith realized that there was no way to predict the outcome. She did the only thing she could do…all that there was left to do…

Wait.

Fin.

000X000

**A/N: (Review my pretties, you know you want to… And again, thank you for reading. Your encouragement turned a oneshot into one monster of a story. I know I left a lot of questions and a lot open, but that is the point of an open ending like this. Whether Cloud and Sephiroth's destinies are to forever be twisted into suffering or if they will at last find happiness, it is all up to you. **

**Again, as I said earlier, this was one heck of a journey for me as a writer and if not for your constant support, this would have stayed a oneshot. **

**If anyone would like to see more from this story 'universe', make sure to PM me your request or idea. From romance, to fights to merely moments spent with friends, I'm always open for suggestions. I love to write. And in the end, I love this story too. **

**At last it has come to and end,**

**Thank you, everyone.**

**-smiles-**

_**Catsitta**_


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